Forget Forward Logjam: Penguins Might Have Defensive Crowding Problem

Well, that is an ongoing dialogue. It's true that the forward battle is next to impossible, as the Penguins likely have 11 spots already locked down, leaving the final few up for grabs by Justin Brazeau , Elmer Soderblom , Hendrix Lapierre , Ville Koivunen , Rutger McGroarty , Avery Hayes , Filip Hallander , Atley Calvert or Tristan Broz.

Realistically, there's very little chance that the Penguins elect not to keep 14 forwards when final NHL rosters are submitted because of the sheer volume. That makes sense.

However, what's being vastly overlooked is the logjam on defense. And if the NHL club only keeps seven defensemen, it could pose an issue at the lower levels.