CRANBERRY TWP., Pa. - The Pittsburgh Penguins are about to look a lot less youthful when they take the ice Thursday against the Utah Mammoth.
Rutger McGroarty and Avery Hayes were not on the ice with the team at practice Wednesday, though both skated earlier in the day. The Penguins have not officially sent either player back to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins yet, but that move appears to be coming.
“They skated earlier this morning, and a lot of that for today had to do with just the numbers. You saw yesterday, it was a lot of bodies on the ice, and so we’ve got to manage it a little bit,” coach Dan Muse said. “And so, any kind of decisions moving forward, I’ve got to have some conversations we can check off on guys in terms of health and status for (Thursday), and then decisions to be made.”
That left the door open for more roster shuffling, and the Penguins will need to clear three spots if all of the expected moves go through. One of those spots is tied to defenseman Sam Girard, who was a full-contact participant for the second straight practice. Girard has seven points (1-6-7) in nine games this season and had been moving the puck with authority before a lower-body injury sidelined him.
The other two openings figure to be taken by returning young forwards. Ben Kindel is set to come back Thursday after his health scare last week, and he was again skating between Evgeni Malkin and Egor Chinakhov at practice. Chinakhov, who reporters noticed sporting a new haircut that looked close to a buzz cut, is also expected to rejoin the lineup after missing time with a lower-body injury.
Chase Pietela also skated with the team as an eighth defenseman.
Justin Brazeau remains another name in the mix. He was a full participant again Wednesday, though unlike Tuesday, when he wore the green jersey with McGroarty and Hayes, he was in black. He was not in the regular line rushes, however, and he has been out since suffering an injury in preseason.
The 6-foot-6, nearly 250-pound forward said he isn’t trying to reinvent anything while he waits for his return.
“I think for myself, like, I know what I bring. And I don’t bring the same things as other guys.
I would say I’m pretty unique that way, and where I want to get to on the ice, and the game I want to play,” Brazeau told PHN. “So, maybe (I’ll watch to see where I’ll fit) a little bit, but I’ve played the same way now for whatever, the last seven or eight years as a pro, so I think it’s just more kind of watching, cheering the guys on.
You know, hopefully we’re kind of executing our plan, and then I get a chance to come back and play that game.”
Muse went into the room Tuesday to speak with Brazeau. If the Penguins want to buy more time before making tougher roster calls, they could send him to WBS on a 14-day conditioning assignment.
Another option is activating him as soon as he is ready. Either way, once McGroarty and Hayes are reassigned, Brazeau would be the only extra forward available, with Elmer Soderblom already out day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
The projected lineup Wednesday reflected the changes coming. Up front, Tommy Novak centered Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell, while Chinakhov slotted with Kindel and Malkin.
Andrei Kuzmenko was with Hendrix Lapierre and Ville Koivunen, and Connor Dewar lined up with Blake Lizotte and Nick Robertson. Brazeau was listed as the extra forward.
On defense, Spencer Stastney paired with Erik Karlsson, Girard was with Kaedan Korczak, and Declan Carlile skated beside Kris Letang. Solovyov and Pietela were the extras.
Rakell also offered a glimpse at how the group is adjusting while Bryan Rust remains out with a lower-body injury for at least another five weeks. Rakell said the difference is noticeable with Tommy Novak in Rust’s usual spot.
“I think it’s just a little bit different. I mean, Tommy is really comfortable holding onto the puck and trying to make plays and being patient,” Rakell told PHN. “So I think we’ve got to let him do that.”
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