CRANBERRY, Pa. -- There will be a lot of familiar names in the Penguins' lineup when they face the Sabres tonight at 7:08 in Buffalo.
At least to people who pay close attention to minor-league, junior and European hockey.
Fact is, Kasperi Kapanen, Marcus Pettersson and Casey DeSmith are the only guys scheduled to play who were regulars with the Penguins in 2020-21.
That will change as the training-camp roster is pared, of course, and the coaching staff settles on the forward combinations and defense pairings the Penguins will use to begin the season Oct. 12 in Tampa.
But even though it looks as if injuries, trades and free-agency departures will prevent the Penguins from having any line from last season intact on Opening Night, Mike Sullivan downplayed the need to get those units significant time together in the final four preseason games so that they can mesh when the real games begin.
"We'll get them some, for sure," he said after the Penguins' game-day skate at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. "I think we have so many returning players who have been here for a while ... I just think there's a lot of familiarity amongst our group, so I'm not overly concerned that we've got to get guys together too early to give them an opportunity to develop some chemistry.
"We'd obviously like to give them some work together so they can develop some chemistry, but I think there's a lot of familiarity within the group, in general. For example, Jake (Guentzel) and (Bryan Rust) have played a lot together, but (Rust) has been all over our lineup since he's been a Pittsburgh Penguin.
"(Jason Zucker) is the same way. He's played with a number of different guys. So I do think we have versatility there, and familiarity."
MORE FROM THE SKATE
• Thursday was the 10th anniversary of a gruesome injury sustained by defenseman Taylor Fedun, then with the Oilers. He was tripped by Wild forward Eric Nystrom, who was trying to avert an icing infraction, and went hard into the boards, causing what then-Edmonton coach Tom Renney characterized as a "complex fracture" of his right femur that had to be surgically repaired.
He missed the entire season while rehabbing from the injury, and its impact on his career never will truly be known.
But Fedun, who was placed on waivers today and is expected to start the season in Wilkes-Barre, said it is not something on which he dwells, and that he was not aware of the grim anniversary that just passed.
"I guess that's a good thing, that it's not at the forefront of my mind at this time," he said.
• Sullivan said DeSmith and Louis Domingue will split the goaltending duties against the Sabres.
• Drew O'Connor, a left winger by trade, skated between Kasper Bjorkqvist and Nathan Legare, and figures to be there again tonight. "Playing center, you get an opportunity to open up the ice a little more, have a little more room to skate," O'Connor said.
• Kapanen will be playing in his second exhibition game, which Sullivan believes is important to prepare him for the season ahead. "We just think (Kapanen) benefits from the workload," Sullivan said. "We really like the track he's on right now. He's getting in better and better shape. ... We'll manage his workload moving forward."
• Brian Boyle, in camp on a professional tryout, still hasn't received a contract, but it sounds as if the Penguins have a place for him in their plans.
"He's a great teammate," Sullivan said. "He's a guy who can add to the leadership group. He's a guy who can help us, both in the locker room and on the bench. When emotions get high, he's an experienced guy who I think has good leadership skills. ... I think he has a real good handle on his own game, and he plays within himself.
"He doesn't try to do too much. He understands that we're looking for a guy who's reliable, who's trustworthy, who can be sound defensively, who can be hard to play against and lean on guys, who can win some faceoffs in the defensive zone, who's a good shot-blocker, who's a very good penalty-killer. These are the things I think, potentially, he could bring to our lineup."