Development camp has become a staple of the Penguins' offseason schedule, as much a part of summer as the NHL Draft and free agency.
But the camp's purpose and format have evolved over the years. No longer do team officials use it simply to assess prospects whose rights they already own; now, they also try to identify and evaluate players with no professional ties who could mature into assets for the franchise.
"(Development camps) got started more to keep an eye on your prospects, the kids that you've drafted," Bill Guerin told DKPittsburghSports.com over the past weekend in Vancouver, British Columbia.