Plotnikov is the frontrunner to skate with Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist heading into regular season, the Penguins' Web site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Coach Mike Johnston is impressed with Plotnikov's willingness to go into the corners. "Most think a lot of European players aren't physical, they're more skilled," Johnston said. "But he's a little bit of a blend type of player because he's a hard player to play against and I just like when he has the puck, he's really tough to knock off the puck. And Geno's going to find open space, you know that. So once they start to get a feel for each other, I think you'll start to see a few more open opportunities around the net."