Penguins notebook: Forward Teddy Blueger resumes full contact in practice
Mike Sullivan admitted to making an error Tuesday.
With the laundry.
When team staffers asked the Penguins coach what color jersey injured Penguins forward Teddy Blueger should wear for practice in Cranberry, Sullivan flubbed his line (with the linen).
That led to Blueger opening practice in a white jersey to signal no-contact as he recovers from a broken jaw. Approximately 10 minutes later, Blueger underwent a wardrobe change and put on a yellow jersey, along with the full cage attached to his helmet.
“It was an oversight on my part,” Sullivan said. “When the trainers came down and asked for the jersey colors, it was my mistake. He was full contact today.”
Such a development represented a significant step in Blueger’s recovery from the jaw injury he suffered Jan. 23. After undergoing surgery Jan. 24, the team announced Blueger’s recovery time would be six-to-eight weeks.
This week would be his fifth since being injured.
Blueger mixed in with line rushes Tuesday. While Brian Boyle still was the primary center for the fourth line, Blueger replaced him intermittently throughout practice. Additionally, Blueger continued to work with the team’s penalty kill.
As the team’s leading defensive center, Blueger has been difficult to replace.
“In my opinion, he is an elite center for his role in the league,” Boyle said. “He’s really underrated around the league. He works to get better. He studies it, he wants to be perfect at it, he works on his draws, which are huge, he is fearless, he’ll get in front of shots and he competes. Little things that you have to do, he recognizes where danger is. He can figure out if we break down or something happens that wasn’t really scripted. He’s usually in the right spot. He’s a huge part of our team.”
In 40 games this season, Blueger has 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) while averaging 15 minutes, 40 seconds of ice time per contest, including 2:06 on the penalty kill. He also has taken 447 faceoffs, winning 54.8 % of his draws.
Domingue, Zucker progressing
Reserve goaltender Louis Domingue worked out on the ice before practice and has been on the ice for a handful of days with goaltending coach Andy Chiodo.
Sullivan indicated Domingue is progressing from his right foot injury but did not offer any particulars.
Domingue was injured during an optional morning skate Jan. 20 and has worn a boot to protect the unspecified ailment.
Second-line winger Jason Zucker continues to work off the ice to rehabilitate a core muscle injury that required surgery Jan. 25. Sullivan also labeled Zucker as “progressing.” No specific time frame for his recovery has been offered.
Penguins sign undrafted prospects
The Penguins added to their prospect pool Tuesday by signing undrafted forward Jordan Frasca and goaltender Taylor Gauthier to three-year entry-level contracts.
Each deal begins in the 2022-23 season.
Frasca, 20, is currently a member of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. In 44 games this season, he leads that team with 32 goals while scoring 65 points overall.
A native of Caledon, Ont., the left-handed Frasca (6-foot-2, 184 pounds) has primarily served as the Frontenacs’ second-line center this season.
Gauthier, 21, has split the 2021-22 season between the Western Hockey League’s Prince George Cougars and Portland Winterhawks, who are coached by ex-Penguins coach Mike Johnston.
In 28 games this season, Gauthier has a 20-6-0 record, a 2.17 goals-against average, a .932 save percentage and three shutouts.
A native of Calgary, the right-catching Gauthier (6-2, 208 pounds) set a franchise record for Portland this season with a shutout sequence of 252:11.
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.