What are the Penguins' options on the left wing?

PHILADELPHIA — When the Pittsburgh Penguins opened their game against the rival Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday, Jake Guentzel wasn’t there. His season is all but over because of a devastating right shoulder injury.

Neither was Dominik Kahun. He’s sidelined indefinitely with a concussion.

Chris Kunitz wasn’t there, either. Ditto Kevin Stevens and Lowell MacDonald.

After all, they’re retired.

They wouldn’t be terrible options given the circumstances, even at the ages of 40, 54 and 78, respectively.

Entering their break from the schedule for the NHL’s All-Star Game event and their own bye, the Penguins are struggling on their port side as two of their top options on the left wing, Guentzel and Kahun, are out of the lineup.

After Guentzel underwent surgery that is scheduled to sideline him for four to six months, general manager Jim Rutherford said he did not feel a need to trade for a left winger specifically because of the ability of his incumbent wingers to play on either side of the line.

Kahun is one of those players who can flip to either wing and showed he could produce while playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin at center and Bryan Rust at right wing. In the eight games he opened on that line, Kahun had six points (one goal, five assists).

But his injury, which he suffered in Sunday’s 4-3 home win against the Boston Bruins, digs the hole a little deeper for the Penguins on the left wing.

Short of an external option like a trade or waivers claim, what are the Penguins’ options on the left wing? In no particular order, here are the internal candidates:

Jared McCann — Largely serving as a second-line center during Sidney Crosby’s convalescence from a core muscle injury, McCann slid back onto Crosby’s left wing once the Penguins’ captain returned to the lineup. Blessed with a heavy shot and hiccup-quick skating, McCann has proved to be an ideal fit with Crosby. Currently, he’s stationed on Crosby’s line with Dominik Simon at the right wing.

Alex Galchenyuk — He has been given ample opportunity to skate with Malkin, but Galchenyuk never has done enough to stay there, either because of ineffective play or injury. After Guentzel’s injury, Galchenyuk played two games on a line with Malkin and Rust before being replaced by Kahun. As one of the team’s most skilled players, Galchenyuk, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 draft, likely will be given another opportunity to prove he deserves a top-six role during Kahun’s recovery.

Sam Lafferty — A healthy scratch for the past four games, Kahun’s injury presumably clears the way for Lafferty to reclaim a spot in the lineup. Making his NHL debut this season, the Hollidaysburg native showed he could produce at a respectable pace with eight points (three goals, five assists) in his first 16 games. But points have been hard to come by as of late. Lafferty has not recorded a point since picking up a primary assist Dec. 4 and has no points in his past 14 games. He has the speed to play NHL hockey. He just needs to show consistency.

Zach Aston-Reese — After largely being a spare part in his first two NHL seasons, Aston-Reese has found a perfect fit on a defensive line with Teddy Blueger and Brandon Tanev. Despite all the injuries this season, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan largely has been hesitant to break up this line to boost the other three. Aston-Reese has been a big component of this trio’s success with his abrasive style.

Dominik Simon — Listed as a center, Simon mainly has been used as a winger during his five-year NHL career. Capable of playing either wing, he is sturdy but hardly spectacular at either position. Given Crosby’s comfort with Simon, it’s difficult to see Simon playing on any other line as long as the lineup is constructed as it is.

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