Nikolai Knyzhov seeks place among Penguins' congested group of defensemen

With plenty of preseason remaining, position battles continue to play out up and down the Pittsburgh Penguins’ roster.

Particularly on the blue line, a plethora of defensemen are battling for a handful of open positions.

In theory, the Penguins look to be set with five of their six top spots.

Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Marcus Pettersson and newcomer Matt Grzelcyk appear to be the favorites to compose the Penguins’ first and second pairings.

By nature of the sizable salary cap commitment he commands, Ryan Graves is also all but guaranteed to occupy a prominent place in the Penguins’ season-opening defensive group.

That means at this stage of training camp, only the club’s No. 6 and reserve No. 7 defensemen have yet to be determined.

Nikolai Knyzhov, a 26-year-old left-handed shot currently on a professional tryout contract, is among those vying for an NHL roster spot.

“I love it so far,” Knyzhov said. “All the people in the organization are positive and so welcoming. I felt like it was so easy to come in. Obviously, in the beginning, you have a little nervousness, meeting everyone new. It felt like I almost knew everyone right away, so it was nice.

Before joining the Penguins, Knyzhov spent the entirety of his NHL career with the San Jose Sharks, skating in 81 games over parts of four seasons, including a career-high 56 in 2020-21.

A multitude of injuries, including an Achilles tear in 2022, limited Knyzhov to just 22 NHL games over the past two seasons.

Nothing is guaranteed for Knyzhov, a native of Kemerovo, Russia, but he has settled in nicely with the Penguins in camp.

“On one side, I look at it as a fresh start,” Knyzhov said. “It’s fun to be here in the city. I love it so far. On the other side, it’s simple for me. I just come in, work hard, do my thing and we’ll see what happens.”

Originally signed by the Sharks as a free agent from the KHL in 2019, Knyzhov had inked a two-year extension in early 2023 worth $1.25 million annually.

But in June, San Jose placed him on unconditional waivers before buying out his contract.

Signing with the Penguins in late August was made more appealing to Knyzhov because of the presence of David Quinn, his coach in San Jose for two years who now is on Mike Sullivan’s staff.

Additionally, the Penguins also employ Doug Wilson as a senior advisor within the hockey operations department. As San Jose’s general manager from 2003-22, Wilson had brought Knyzhov to the Sharks.

“(Wilson has) called me ever since I got bought out (by the Sharks). He’s talked to me, and he’s been honest with me,” Knyzhov said. “Just like, ‘I know it’s a PTO, but we’d love to have you. We’ll give you a fair look and a fair shot.’

“That’s all I was really looking for. I’m not asking for much more than that. I trust him because I know him from San Jose. I respect him a lot. That definitely made my decision much easier.”

Knyzhov is competing primarily with fellow left-handed shots Ryan Shea (who can play both sides of a pairing), John Ludvig, Filip Kral and Sebastian Aho.

Shea and Ludvig, both of whom saw extensive action with the Penguins last season, could be seen as having more of an inside track to a roster spot given the organizational familiarity.

The Penguins’ estimation of Aho, who has 190 career games of NHL experience with the New York Islanders, can be deduced in the two-year, $775,000 contract he signed in July.

Kral also is under contract this season for $775,000.

Of the aforementioned bunch, only Knyzhov is attending training camp on a no-strings-attached basis with regards to a contract.

Knyzhov, ultimately, might be a longshot to begin the season in Pittsburgh, but as Karlsson’s preseason injury demonstrates, players can go down unexpectedly at any point, making depth critical.

Many players in camp with the Penguins have yet to suit up for a preseason contest, and Knyzhov is among them through two games.

While complimentary of the small sample size Knyzhov has presented in practice settings, Sullivan wants to see him in a more competitive setting before forming any lasting assessments.

“I didn’t know him very well before he came into camp,” Sullivan said. “He’s a guy that brings good size, can really skate, has got a long reach. I think on the defensive side, some of those attributes have been evident.

“I prefer to reserve judgment for some of the guys I’m not as familiar with. I think the exhibition games are more of a barometer for us that’ll give us a better feel.”

Notes: Forward Jonathan Gruden and Kral were added to the Penguins’ injury report, having suffered unspecified ailments in Tuesday’s game vs. Buffalo. Neither skated with the team in practice Wednesday. … Forwards Beau Jelsma, Jagger Joshua and Matt Nieto skated Wednesday as part of their rehab programs. Their statuses remain unchanged, as does that of goalie Taylor Gauthier. Karlsson remains out with an upper-body injury but did not skate because of a scheduled off-day.

• The Penguins made two additional cuts to their training camp roster Wednesday, reassigning forward Tanner Howe (Regina Pats, Western Hockey League) and defenseman Finn Harding (Brampton Steelheads, Ontario Hockey League) to their respective junior clubs. Both Howe (second round, No. 46 overall) and Harding (seventh, 223rd overall) were 2024 Draft picks by Pittsburgh. A total of 62 players remain in camp.