Key Penguins To Watch at World Championship

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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins may not be competing in the NHL playoffs, but they will be represented soundly at this year’s IIHF World Championship. It’s not much of a consolation prize, but it does provide the opportunity for several Penguins to play meaningful hockey in the summer. Here’s what to watch for as the IIHF World Championship gets underway.

1. Michael Bunting and Team Canada

Team Canada is a perennial favorite in this tournament, and this year’s roster is no exception. Penguins’ forward Michael Bunting is featured near the top of Canada’s roster, and he’ll be looking to continue his scoring ways.

Possibly playing with youngster Connor Bedard, Bunting will have plenty of opportunity as a net-front presence.

Since Bunting arrived in Pittsburgh, he’s been sensational. He averaged just under a point per game in black and gold and is poised to be a scoring threat for Team Canada. While he won’t be playing alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, he should see time with playmakers like Bedard, Pierre-Luc Dubois, or Jared McCann.

As an added sweetener, Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas is also working in Team Canada’s front office.

2. Swedish Connection on Defense

The most stable defensive pairing in Pittsburgh this past season was Marcus Pettersson and Erik Karlsson. They were well-balanced and in sync, perhaps due to their Swedish heritage.

They’ll get the chance to continue honing their chemistry in this tournament. Leading the defensive core for Team Sweden, watch for Karlsson to have a big offensive performance and Pettersson to continue being his usual, stay-at-home defensive self. On the backs of their deep defense, Team Sweden has a real chance to win gold at this year’s tournament.

Team Sweden will also be led by Karlsson as their captain.

3. Ned Making His Case

This may soon change, but as it currently stands, Alex Nedeljkovic is still a Penguin. With his contract expiring and a bounce-back campaign under his belt, Nedeljkovic may find a richer contract and a better opportunity elsewhere. While that all settles, he will be suiting up for Team USA in this tournament.

This isn’t the setting for most players to improve their stock around the league. For Nedeljkovic, however, this is another pivotal opportunity. He is vying for a starting job or more security in his next contract, and a solid showing here can solidify that for him.

Extra: Team Finland

The Penguins also have a heavy representation of current and former players on Team Finland. Valtteri Puustinen and Jesse Puljujarvi are the active names looking to excel on a pretty solid roster.

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