CRANBERRY, TWP., Pa. — Elmer Soderblom made a high-profile mistake that had social media buzzing on Day 1 of Pittsburgh Penguins training camp.
He was scheduled for Group 1, the NHL group, but he misread the schedule and was dumped into the minor league/junior group instead. It wasn't until some seven hours later, after all of the practices had concluded, that the Penguins and the enormous 6-foot-8 winger clarified it was a simple mistake.
For his part, Soderblom owned it and quickly moved past it. In fact, the winger filled the net Saturday in the third and final day of full training camp. In larger drills and small ice drills, he blistered the puck past the goalies in his group.
"Yeah, of course. It's a mistake. It's totally … yeah … totally my fault. I kind of misread the schedule there, so I just have to forget it and move on, and just work hard," Soderblom said. "So, I feel like I've just got to move on, forget it, and take it."
We've all been there.
Last season, the Penguins gladly handed over a third-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings for Soderblom, who had just three points and two goals in 39 games with Detroit. After arriving in Pittsburgh, Soderblom exploded for five goals and 10 points in 20 games.
Not only did Soderblom put a few pucks in the net, but he dominated the puck and supplanted Justin Brazeau , who scored 18 goals last season, in the lineup. Indeed, the big Swedish winger took full advantage of his new surroundings.
"I felt like I got a little bit more opportunity here. I felt like I had the support and trust from the coaching staff and from the organization to play my game and be the player I am and not trying to be someone else," Soderblom said. "So I felt like that was the biggest part—to just not think too much, let go of all the thoughts, and just play my game."
With the mistake fresh in his rearview, Soderblom seems to be playing with a little more urgency in training camp, though he was reticent to admit it. There was no punishment beyond the public embarrassment of missing the first day of practice. According to Soderblom, the coaches told him to move past it and get to work.
"I mean, (coaches said) just keep working hard and move on," said Soderblom.
Given the Penguins' overflowing forwards group, which has as many as 20 players who could fill the 13 or 14 spots, no one's job is safe. However, despite the crowded house, the Penguins would appear to need penalty killers, as only three of last year's primary PK players returned.
Imagine Soderblom bearing down on the power-play point, with his wings spread to take away vision and lanes? He averaged one minute per game shorthanded with the Penguins last season.
The Penguins' lineup is still unknown, and hard decisions loom, but it doesn't seem too hard to keep Soderblom around. He would agree.
Camp Notes:
In a scary moment that ground practice to a halt, Evgeni Malkin dropped to the ice after absorbing a heavy wrister from Egor Chinakhov later in the session practice Saturday. He went down hard and lay on the ice for a few seconds before getting to all fours.
Malkin finished the practice and was in the room afterward. No harm, no foul, but Chinakhov ripped a heavy shot.
Oliver Okuliar also left the group practice, favoring his right ankle or foot. UPDATE: After practice, coach Dan Muse said Okuliar was being evaluated. The Penguins acquired Okuliar, who played for Team Slovakia at the Olympics, from Florida for Emil Pieniniemi during the offseason.
The early line combos and defense pairings largely remained the same, with Declan Carlile beside Erik Karlsson and Trevor van Riemsdyk with Kris Letang . Bryan Rust has been playing on a line with Ben Kindel and Andrei Kuzmenko , while Robertson remains with Crosby and Rakell .
Bill Zonnon dropped to the third group, the minor-league group, on Saturday, while the team elevated 2026 first-rounder Liam Ruck to one of the two NHL groups.
And it remains the likely top pairing with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins , but Owen Pickering continues to skate with Harrison Brunicke . If not the first pair in WBS, it sure looks like it could be a third pairing in Pittsburgh.
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