CRANBERRY TWP., - The Penguins’ practice Friday came with the usual churn, and then some: a veteran defenseman trending back in, another young blueliner sliding out, and a handful of line changes as coach Dan Muse kept reshuffling the deck.
Trevor van Riemsdyk was back as a full participant, which puts him in line for a possible return Saturday against the Ottawa Senators at PPG Paints Arena. Muse said he’ll spend Friday afternoon talking with the player and the medical staff before a final call is made on van Riemsdyk’s availability.
“He’s got that veteran presence. Good first pass.
Good defensive positioning,” said Muse. “You know, he’s a guy who puts himself into good starting points.
You know he’s going to be battling. He competes every day.”
Van Riemsdyk, 35, has appeared in just five games this season since signing a two-year deal on July 1, and he’s done it on his offside, the left side. At practice Friday, he was paired with Ilya Solovyov as an extra defense duo, a setup that strongly suggests Solovyov is the odd man out for now. If van Riemsdyk is activated, the Penguins will need to clear a roster spot.
Solovyov’s day on the ice had the look of a player waiting on the next move. After practice, he sat in his stall, slowly peeling off tape, reaching for a Zyn pouch and staring at his Penguins hat.
Muse also confirmed the PHN report that Bryan Rust and Elmer Soderblom skated Friday morning, though neither player’s injured status changed.
Up front, Muse made a clear choice to reward Rutger McGroarty after his strong showing against the San Jose Sharks. The 22-year-old stayed on the fourth line with Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar, while Ville Koivunen was made the extra forward.
McGroarty still doesn’t have a point in three NHL games this season, but his defensive reliability and steady work in the offensive zone stood out, especially in the San Jose game. PHN graded him well in the postgame report card.
Nick Robertson got another shake-up around him. He told PHN he didn’t have his best outing against San Jose, and the line finished minus-2. On Friday, Muse moved Tommy Novak back to the wing and brought Hendrix Lapierre back in as the third-line center, slotting Lapierre next to Robertson.
The forward groups looked like this:
Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin
Tommy Novak-Ben Kindel-Egor Chinakhov
Nick Robertson-Hendrix Lapierre-Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Rutger McGroarty
Extra: Koivunen
On defense, the pairs were:
Spencer Stastney-Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard-Kaedan Korczak
Declan Carlile-Kris Letang
Extra: van Riemsdyk-Solovyov
In goal, Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov were the two netminders on the ice. Silovs was off well before Murashov, which is often the sign of who will start the next day. Murashov has won his last two starts, both during the recent three-game road trip.
Muse said those wins mattered, but he framed them as part of a broader team effort.
“In terms of me, I think there’s belief in everybody that’s here. I think it was good for him to get the wins.
Some of the games that he played previously. I think he competed, and I think there were just too (many chances) coming at him, and so that’s a team thing,” said Muse.
“That’s on all of us, but I think for him, I think both games, (we’re) excited for him to be in there to get the wins. I thought he played really well.”
Murashov’s recent run also tied back to a moment from the road trip. After his first win there, a 5-2 victory over the LA Kings last Saturday, he told reporters in LA that he wanted to “send a media message to Devin Cooley.”
Murashov had been responding to Cooley’s openness about the mental side of being a goalie, and he said the Calgary Flames netminder’s comments had helped him. Cooley later answered publicly, saying, “I’m glad I can do something instead of just play a sport … because that doesn’t really make a huge impact on humanity,” with a laugh.
When asked Friday whether he had seen Cooley’s reply, Murashov admitted he had.
“Message delivered,” Murashov said with a smile as he looked down and smiled some more to himself.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Linked To A Major Trade Target They May Not Control
The Penguins blue line has become part of a larger trade conversation as teams around the league look for help, and Erik Karlsson keeps surfacing as one of the more intriguing names. Toronto would like to add a defenseman but is boxed in by the salary cap, which makes any move complicated unless it can clear money first. For Pittsburgh, that keeps Karlsson in the middle of a market that is still trying to sort out who can actually afford to do business.
Among the clubs kicking tires, Carolina has been tied most closely to Karlsson, which is enough to keep the rumor mill humming in Pittsburgh. But any path forward is not as simple as a team deciding it wants him and calling it a day, because the veteran defenseman still has say in where he goes. Until that part of the equation is settled, the interest around him remains just that - interest. [Read more 🡒]
WBS Penguins Let Rivalry Milestone Slip Away In Brutal Collapse
The 300th regular-season meeting between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Hershey had all the markings of another hard-nosed chapter in a long rivalry, and for most of the night the Penguins looked ready to make it their own. They carried a 3-1 lead into the third period and had the game in hand before the Bears started clawing back, turning what should have been a landmark win into a tense finish.
Hershey finished the rally in overtime to steal a 4-3 victory, leaving the Penguins to sort through a collapse that will sting for a while. Taylor Gauthier was busy throughout the night, and Cal Petersen held up his end for the Bears as they found a way to turn a milestone game into a memorable comeback, one Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would have liked to close out much differently. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Practice Sent A Clear Message About A Roster Shakeup
Dan Muse used practice to reshuffle the Penguins lines, and the message from the morning skate was hard to miss. Rookie Sergei Murashov was being singled out as having secured a roster spot, giving the club a little clarity at a time when the lineup has been in flux and every adjustment feels like it carries a little extra weight.
Elsewhere on the ice, Bryan Rust and Elmer Soderblom were both on injured ice before practice, with Rust skating but not at full intensity. The broader picture around the Penguins is still changing too, with trade chatter continuing to swirl around Erik Karlsson and other names around the league, leaving the roster conversation very much alive even as one young player appears to have carved out his place. [Read more 🡒]