Penguins forward Jason Zucker sidelined on a week-to-week basis with injury
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jason Zucker will be sidelined on a “week-to-week” basis because of an undisclosed injury.
Coach Mike Sullivan announced Zucker’s status following a practice session in Cranberry on Monday and indicated Zucker has been dealing with this “nagging” ailment for an unspecified amount of time.
Before the Penguins’ recent break for Christmas — that was extended from three to five days because of the NHL’s issues with covid-19 — Zucker had missed several practices, including one before his most recent game, a 3-2 road win against the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 19.
Primarily deployed on the team’s second line, Zucker has appeared in 30 games this season and scored 11 points (four goals, seven assists) while averaging 15 minutes, 34 seconds of ice time.
Malkin, Rust practice in a full capacity
Injured Penguins forwards Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust each participated in a full capacity during Monday’s practice.
Rust would appear to be the closest to potentially returning to the lineup. Sullivan suggested Rust is a possibility for the team’s next game, which — barring any further postponements — is a road contest against the Ottawa Senators on Friday.
According to Sullivan, any hopes for Malkin to return by Friday would be “aggressive.”
Malkin has been on long-term injured reserve all season as he recovers from offseason surgery to his right knee.
Rust, currently on injured reserve, has missed the past 11 games because of an undisclosed injury. He previously missed seven games throughout October and November because of a different undisclosed injury. In 12 games this season, he has nine points (two goals, seven assists) while averaging 18:13 of ice time.
Six go into covid-19 protocol
The team placed forwards Teddy Blueger, Evan Rodrigues, Dominik Simon, defensemen John Marino, Mike Matheson and goaltender Tristan Jarry into the NHL’s protocols for covid-19 on Sunday and Monday.
Sullivan gave an optimistic update on the sextet, though with few specifics.
“For the most part, everybody is doing very well,” Sullivan said. “There are a couple of the guys that have mild, almost like cold-like symptoms. But most of them are doing very well. There’s a handful of them that are asymptomatic. None of them, to this point, have anything significant.”
The Penguins had not had any players in the NHL’s protocols for the virus since Nov. 13.
Guentzel sidelined with non-covid illness
Forward Jake Guentzel did not participate in Monday’s practice because of an undisclosed illness that was described as “non-covid.”
“Sounds to me like he’s feeling a little bit better,” Sullivan said. “We’re hopeful we’ll get him fairly soon.”
Guentzel is on injured reserve having missed the past five games because of a right hand injury. He is the team’s leading scorer with 27 points (15 goals, 12 assists) in 24 games.
Taxi squads return
The NHL re-instituted taxi squads on a temporary basis as of Sunday. While some NHL teams already have made recalls to stock that group, the Penguins had not as of Monday.
Sullivan suggested the Penguins will utilize that roster management tool when the situation calls for it, such as the team’s scheduled six-game road trip that primarily takes the Penguins throughout the western portion of the United States in January.
“(Ron Hextall) and I, we’re sorting through that,” Sullivan said. “All of us involved, (Hextall’s) people in hockey (operations) and the coaching staff, we’re sorting through that right now. I would anticipate, in my preliminary discussions with (Hextall), that we would utilize the taxi squad in certain instances. For example, we have that trip coming out west. That might be a circumstance where we would utilize the taxi squad and bring some extra guys out there.
“Just logistically, it’s a challenge if you end up needing guys when you’re already on the other side of the country. We’re still trying to sort through that aspect of it. I would anticipate us utilizing it. I just don’t know how consistently at this point.”
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.
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