Camp Opens With Two Defensemen Still Nowhere Near It

Jones and Hallander remain on injured reserve with no clarity on when either returns, and training camp is close enough now that "unclear timeline" is starting to mean something more specific: they probably won't be ready for it. That's the situation Pittsburgh is walking into.

Kaedan Korczak was acquired from Vegas to add depth behind Karlsson and Letang, not to anchor a short-handed blue line from day one. I wrote a few days ago that his audition was starting whether he was ready or not — that's still true, and the math hasn't changed. With two bodies missing and no return dates attached, Korczak isn't competing for a role so much as filling one by default. That's a different kind of pressure.

The front office has been connected to available veteran defensemen in the market, and there's a piece out this week suggesting Pittsburgh should strongly consider adding one now. My read: if Jones and Hallander were trending toward camp-ready, that conversation probably quiets down. The fact that it hasn't suggests the organization knows what it has and what it's missing.

Karlsson and Letang logged heavy minutes last season — north of 22 and nearly 24 minutes a night, respectively — and neither is getting younger. Leaning on that pair while the depth sorts itself out is workable for a week. Over an 82-game season, it's a problem the Penguins already know too well.