What You Need to Know About the Pittsburgh Penguins' 2014 Training Camp

It’s that time of the season again. Hockey is back on everyone's mind, including the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are ready to report to training camp at Consol Energy Center on Thursday morning. 

There is a lot for the Penguins to learn before the season starts. Getting used to their new teammates' style of play as well as head coach Mike Johnston's game plan will among the key adjustments to monitor before the puck drops on opening night. 

As it draws closer, here is everything you need to know about the 2014 Penguins training camp.

General Information

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Here are some general facts fans should take note of before camp begins:

• Per the Penguins' website, training camp will kick off Thursday at their home arena, Consol Energy Center.

• Fans will be able to view a free practice Saturday morning at Consol. Doors open at 8:30 a.m.

• Preseason is set to begin Monday on home ice vs. the Detroit Red Wings with faceoff set for 7 p.m. It will be shown in Pittsburgh on the CW network.

• The Penguins' training camp roster this year will consist of 51 skaters (34 forwards and 17 defensemen) and six goaltenders.

• The regular season officially kicks off Oct. 9 when the Penguins host the Anaheim Ducks.

Pay Attention to the Young Guys

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While most of the prospects attending training camp this year won’t make the big-league roster, there is a lot of promising young talent to watch in the coming weeks.

On defense, the Penguins are practically drowning in blue-line talent. Simon Despres and Olli Maatta will lead the charge as the most experienced of the young D-men.

However, prized gem Derrick Pouliot may be the most interesting defenseman to watch in camp. While his recent shoulder surgery may keep him from physical contact, fans will finally get to see him play with the big boys for the first time ever.

On offense, it seems Beau Bennett and Kasperi Kapanen will be the biggest points of attraction.

Bennett may not be the baby-faced rookie we saw two years ago, but his ability to overcome his recent wrist injury will be one of the bigger storylines entering the new season.

Kapanen, the Pens’ 2014 first-round draft pick, will try to make the team this season, but it's a tough road for most rookies this early on. He has to get used to the North American game, which can be a big jump for younger European players.

There Will Be a Heated Battle for the Backup Goalie Position

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Thomas Greiss and Jeff Zatkoff will be battling for more than just the chance to back Marc-Andre Fleury during the 2014-15 season. They could be duking it out for a chance to just stay on the team.

Greiss and Zatkoff are two very good goaltenders who have bright futures in the NHL and could earn a starting job one day. Zatkoff had a solid rookie season, going 12-6-0 and posting a save percentage of .912. Greiss recorded some impressive numbers as well with the Arizona (then Phoenix) Coyotes behind Mike Smith. The German national went 10-8-5 and logged a .920 save percentage.

They are both good goalies, but there may only be one backup spot open. Whoever doesn’t make the season-opening roster will have to go through waivers before being placed in the Penguins’ farm system, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. Believe me, there will be at least one team who would be happy to sign either.

New Game Plan Will Be Set in Place

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Ex-head coach Dan Bylsma’s game plan got stale, and he seemed to have “lost” the locker room. To fix this, Bylsma was let go and Mike Johnston was brought in.

Johnston has a pretty nice résumé that has taken him from NHL assistantships to the helm of the Portland Winterhawks. His style of play will be a refreshing change of pace for the offense.

Johnston stated that his game plan for the Penguins is to be a puck-possession team and for them to set a good pace rather than just rely on risky stretch passes like his predecessor liked to do, per Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' website.

“I want to play a pace game,” Johnston said. “I want to play a possession game. You own the puck, you play defensively a lot less.”

Training camp will require every Penguin to learn to the new system, which will be a fresh start for this club. Pay attention during the first few preseason games because that is when we will really see the new system take hold.