Filip Kral hopes to make most of opportunity with Penguins, his 2nd shot in NHL

The NHL preseason is always a hectic time for coach Mike Sullivan and the Pittsburgh Penguins staff.

This year, they started with 69 players in camp, a good chunk of whom are NHL veterans and/or core players who are more so getting back in the swing of playing games rather than having their performances scrutinized.

But the majority of participants at camp don’t have that luxury.

There are far more players than roster spots, and this time of year serves as an audition — a narrow window to make an impression.

“The players, they’re all here for a reason,” Sullivan said. “There’s a dimension to their game that they bring that obviously intrigues (general manager) Kyle (Dubas) and our hockey operations that potentially, they could fit into our organization in some capacity, whether it’s Pittsburgh or Wilkes-Barre, and help us have success.”

One such player searching for a role with the Penguins is 24-year-old defenseman Filip Kral, who joined the club after inking a one-year deal in May worth $775,000.

Kral, a left-handed shot, spent last season playing in Liiga, the top pro league of Finland, where he put together a standout campaign, scoring five goals with 32 assists in 46 games for the Lahti Pelicans.

The 37 points Kral produced ranked fourth among the league’s defensemen despite missing 14 games due to injury.

The benefits of the season in Finland were immense for Kral, a native of Blankso, Czech Republic, who was originally selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth round (No. 149 overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft.

Being back in the mix with NHL-caliber players as well as adjusting to the smaller ice dimensions utilized in North American have forced Kral to re-acclimate.

“It’s different than last year in Finland, of course,” Kral said. “I have to get used to it again. The one year back in Europe, it’s totally different than here. The pace and overall, you’re playing against the best players in the world here, so you just have to get used to it. After two or three practices, I got used to it a little more, so now it’s like, every day’s better.”

Kral’s decision to play in Finland last year came on the heels of a disappointing tenure in the Maple Leafs organization.

In 2020, he signed an entry-level deal with Toronto after three encouraging seasons with the Western Hockey League’s Spokane Chiefs.

But from there, Kral struggled to reach his potential.

In parts of three American Hockey League seasons with the Toronto Marlies, Kral appeared in 92 games, scoring seven goals with 22 assists.

He made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs in 2022-23, appearing in a pair of games, but by year’s end, he was not extended a qualifying offer.

At that point, Kral knew he needed a change of scenery.

“My last year in Toronto, I didn’t feel good, I didn’t feel confident at all,” he said. “The decision to go back to Finland was pretty much to get the confidence back, be the best player in Liiga, and that’s what happened. I’m really happy about it. Overall, the season was just unreal.

“I enjoyed it, and it was one of the best years so far for me. It’s pretty much why I’m back here. I grabbed the confidence back.”

Signing with the Penguins carried the added benefit of reuniting with Dubas, who drafted Kral in 2018.

So far this preseason, Kral has suited up for the Penguins once, skating for 14 minutes, 46 seconds in a 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Sept. 24.

Kral teamed with Owen Pickering on the Penguins’ third defensive pairing, recording a block and hit in the contest.

He did leave the contest with an undisclosed injury but soon returned to practice without restrictions.

Sullivan appreciates Kral’s abilities from an offensive standpoint.

“I think when he’s at his best, he’s a good puck mover,” Sullivan said. “He gets back to pucks, he transitions pucks and helps us get out of our end, he joins the rush and presents that four-man attack on the entries. He’s pretty good along the offensive blue line. He’s got some deception to his game.

“I think he can get pucks down to the net on the offensive blue line and for me, watching Filip, that seems to be the strength of his game: his puck skills and his ability to make plays.”

That said, Sullivan offered constructive criticism on the defensive side of things, challenging him to get stronger and improve his stickwork.

Kral is probably a long shot to crack the NHL roster.

Sullivan and his staff likely have their eyes focused on others, such as Ryan Shea and Sebastian Aho, to slide into the No. 7 reserve defenseman role.

Eager to make good on his second opportunity in the NHL, that won’t be a deterrent for Kral.

“If I have to start the season in Wilkes-Barre, I will do my best to get back on the roster to Pittsburgh,” Kral said. “But I’ll go step by step and see how it goes.”

Notes: Defenseman Erik Karlsson skated Tuesday before the Penguins’ morning skate in Cranberry. Karlsson, sidelined for all of training camp with an unspecified injury, took the ice for the first time since Sept. 24. Sullivan called his skating “really encouraging” and remains confident that Karlsson will be ready for the Oct. 9 season opener vs. the New York Rangers. … Forward Blake Lizotte and goalie Alex Nedeljkovic continue to be evaluated for undisclosed injuries. Nedeljkovic was forced to leave Monday’s road contest vs. the Detroit Red Wings early, and Lizotte is being treated after being hit in the face with a puck during Sunday’s preseason game in Sudbury, Ontario against the Ottawa Senators.