The Penguins got through Wednesday without sending a forward through waivers, and they did it by making a trade instead. Pittsburgh moved Filip Hallander to the Edmonton Oilers and brought back left-handed defenseman Spencer Stastney, a deal that also helped clear the way for Bryan Rust’s return.
At the same time, the NHL gave the Penguins some flexibility with Andrei Kuzmenko, granting him non-roster status before the trade was completed. The designation means Kuzmenko is with the team on this trip, but he won’t play while he works his way back up to speed.
“With Kuzmenko, he’s with us on the trip. The league has granted him non-roster status.
I think with him it’s extremely commendable everything that he did, going back home to be with his family, and then coming back and wanting to be with the group right away,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said. “I’ve said it before, (we’re) just heartbroken for him, and it’s just a tragic situation.
Right now, I think for him, it’s getting back up to speed. So, he’s with us on this trip.
He’s not going to be playing on the trip, but he’s going to be skating and just getting some work in.
“For us right now, it’s just helping him. The No. 1 thing is being there for him as a human being, which is always the priority, and it absolutely is right now.”
Kuzmenko had returned from Russia this week after going home because of the death of his father, who was killed in a bear attack while on a fishing trip with friends in southern Siberia. He was 62.
Kuzmenko also adopted the number 62 for the rest of the season to honor his father’s age, the year his mother was born, 1962, and the year 2026.
Muse did not say how long Kuzmenko will remain in that status, and Kuzmenko had no points in his first two games this season.
On the ice, the Penguins added a player with some useful recent mileage. Stastney, 26, carries an average annual value of $1.525 million, and last season he posted career highs in games played (66), goals (2), assists (8), points (10), and blocked shots (63) while splitting time between Nashville and Edmonton. He also logged 1:27 of shorthanded ice time per game and was part of Nashville’s fifth-ranked penalty-killing unit.
Hallander’s departure ends his third run with Pittsburgh. He had started to carve out a role after a strong training camp and told PHN he was trying to find his “evil eye” so he could be more consistently physical and earn a steadier spot in the lineup. He scored his first goal of the season in the first game against Philadelphia, and he missed most of last season after blood clot issues limited him to 13 games.
Rust, meanwhile, looks close to returning. Muse said he was skating and looking good in practice, but stopped short of officially ruling him in.
“Rusty is obviously skating with us. He’s been looking good,” Muse said. “That will be a game-time decision.”
If Rust is cleared, the expectation is that he would line up with Ben Kindel and Ville Koivunen.
In Other News...
Crosby And Ovechkin Get One More Penguins Chapter To Savor
Alex Ovechkins announcement that this will be his final NHL season gives every meeting with Sidney Crosby a little more weight, and the first of four remaining regular-season matchups between the longtime rivals now carries the feel of a farewell tour as much as a divisional game. For the Penguins, it also comes at a time when the roster is still in motion, with practice offering another look at how the forward group might be arranged around Crosby as the season wears on.
Bryan Rusts return is getting closer after he was a full participant in practice, a welcome sign for a Pittsburgh team that could use more stability and scoring touch as the schedule tightens. Even in a season that has already produced its share of odd side notes across the league, from the NHLs short-lived Hot for Hockey campaign to comeback stories elsewhere, the Crosby-Ovechkin chapter remains the one Penguins fans will circle first, because once Ovechkin is gone, these games will never quite feel the same again. [Read more 🡒]
Bryan Rusts Return Forces A Penguins Lineup Shakeup
Bryan Rust is back on the Penguins roster after being activated off injured reserve, bringing an end to the extended recovery from an upper-body injury he suffered in the preseason. His return gives Pittsburgh another veteran piece up front at a time when the lineup has already been shifting around, and it comes just as the schedule offers a familiar measuring-stick opponent in Washington.
The timing of the move also reflects a bit of roster reshuffling behind the scenes, with Pittsburgh making room by dealing Filip Hallander to Edmonton for Spencer Stastney. Rusts presence should immediately change the look of the forward group, and the next question is how the Penguins line combinations settle once hes back in game action. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Make Early Move To Address A Defensive Concern
The Penguins took an early step toward shoring up a defensive concern by adding Spencer Stastney, a 26-year-old left-shot defenseman, from Edmonton. The move gives Pittsburgh another option on the blue line after a busy start to the season, and it comes with a player who already has some NHL experience, having appeared in 66 games last season split between the Oilers and Predators.
Filip Hallander goes the other way after opening the current season with two points in two games, part of a short NHL resume that now sits at seven points in 18 career games. For Pittsburgh, the trade is a sign that the front office is willing to address the rosters balance early, even if the long-term picture for the newcomer will be something to watch as the year unfolds. [Read more 🡒]