Penguins activate defenseman Mike Matheson from injured reserve
The Penguins activated defenseman Mike Matheson from injured reserve. An undisclosed injury has sidelined him for the past five games.
In 50 games this season, Matheson has 21 points, including seven goals, most among the team’s defensemen.
Surprisingly, Matheson replaced defenseman Brian Dumoulin in the lineup for Friday’s home game against the Vegas Golden Knights and opened the contest skating on the top defensive pairing next to Kris Letang.
Dumoulin was scratched due to illness not related to covid-19.
To make room for Matheson on the roster, defenseman P.O Joseph was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Joseph has been recalled to the NHL roster on three occasions this season. In four NHL games during the 2020-21 season, he has no points.
With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he leads that team’s defensemen in scoring with 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) in 40 games.
Kapanen scratched
Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen was a healthy scratch for Friday’s game. He did not participate in Friday’s warmups.
Kapanen has mostly struggled throughout the entire season but had been strikingly ineffective as of late, having not scored a goal in his previous 17 games.
“The decisions that we’re trying to make as a coaching staff isn’t about whether we like somebody or we don’t like somebody or we’re mad at somebody or not mad at somebody,” Sullivan said. “That, for me, doesn’t even enter into the equation. We are trying to make decisions that give us the best chance to win, and we’re trying to help all our players maximize their potential.
“As far as what our expectation is and how (Kapanen) can help himself moving forward — and (Kapanen) and I have had a number of conversations about this — is trying to play the game the right way and just immersing himself in staying in the moment and playing the game the right way.”
Puustinen debuts
In Kapanen’s place, forward Valtteri Puustinen made his NHL debut. He opened Friday’s contest on the right wing of the third line with Jeff Carter at center and Brock McGinn on the left wing.
A seventh-round pick (No. 203 overall) in 2019, the Finnish-born Puustinen is in the midst of his first season in North America. Recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Thursday, he leads that team in scoring with 34 points (17 goals, 17 assists) in 53 games.
“He has a game that could play up and down the lineup,” Sullivan said. “When you look at (Puustinen’s) game, his greatest strengths are his offensive instincts, his ability to finish, he can really shoot the puck. That’s the area of the game where I think (Puustinen) excels. If and when we do put him in the lineup, we’re going to try to put him in a position where he can play to those strengths.”
Drozg loaned to Grand Rapids
The Penguins loaned forward prospect Jan Drozg to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Friday.
Grand Rapids is an affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.
This transaction all but brings Drozg’s tenure with the Penguins to an end.
A fifth-round pick (No. 152 overall) by the Penguins in 2017, Drozg is in the final year of a three-year entry-level contract.
In an interview with Sportsklub, a media outlet in his native Slovenia, Drozg revealed he had requested a departure from the franchise two months ago.
“I am just happy with the transfer,” Drozg said in a translation of the interview. “I think I need a fresh start, some new opportunity after proving myself in another NHL organization. I think this is very positive for me. The transition came about when I expressed my desire to leave in Pittsburgh two months ago, as it seems to me that there was no future for me here. The leading people in the organization changed, and with that came a change of roles in the team, which was not written on my skin. The agent and I then decided it was best to leave the organization. I was willing to move anywhere else where they would be willing to offer me a chance in the game. In the end, it turned out to be Detroit.”
In 23 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season, Drozg had 10 points (four goals, six assists).
His departure is the latest misstep for what has been thus far proven to be a dreadful 2017 draft class for the Penguins.
• Their first-round pick from that draft (No. 31 overall) was dealt to the St. Louis Blues in an ill-fated trade that landed little-used enforcing forward Ryan Reaves.
• Defenseman Zachary Lauzon (second round – No. 51 overall) retired from hockey due to concussion woes.
• Defenseman Clayton Phillips (third round – No. 93 overall) is in his senior season at Penn State and is unsigned.
• Forward Linus Olund (fifth round – No. 155 overall) and defenseman Antti Palojarvi (sixth round – No. 186 overall) have each had their NHL right relinquished by the Penguins.
• Defenseman Will Reilly (seventh-rounder – No. 217 overall) is in the midst of his second professional season, having split time between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.