TORONTO — When the Penguins acquired Dominik Kahun from the Chicago Blackhawks this offseason, they envisioned a versatile forward who could play up and down the lineup and on both wings.
At least that was the plan.
But when Kahun initially arrived in Pittsburgh, all that shifting and shuffling left the 24-year-old Czech-born player struggling to find his footing. Left wing one game. Right wing the next. Fourth line one game. Second line the next.
Through it all, Kahun tallied just two points in his first 11 games. By Nov. 2, the player who seemed like he could fit in so many different places was struggling just to crack the top-12 forward rotation, as the Penguins made him a healthy scratch.
“My experience being around the league and coaching different players, sometimes when a player comes to a new environment, it takes a little bit of time,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “There is an adjustment process.”
That process seems to have run its course. Those early struggles? They feel like a distant memory now.
Kahun worked to learn the Penguins’ system and establish a role for himself. Now, with 49 games under his belt and 27 points on the score sheet, he has become a core piece of the Penguins. Among healthy wingers, only Bryan Rust (48) and Jared McCann (32) have more points. Patric Hornqvist also has 27 points.
More than just the production, Kahun has become that malleable puzzle piece after all.
“Dom is a good player,” Sullivan said. “He’s got real good offensive instincts. He’s got great play-making ability. He has the ability to finish. He’s quick. He’s good in tight space. We’ve used him all over the lineup.”
Tuesday’s game against Toronto was a prime example of how Kahun has grown.
After sitting out several weeks to recover from a concussion, Kahun was scheduled to ease his way into the lineup as a left winger on the fourth line. Well, plans changed. Evgeni Malkin went down with an unexpected illness. Kahun was bumped up to the second line, where he served as Jared McCann’s left winger.
“I think it’s going to happen more and more,” Kahun said of his ability to adapt to different responsibilities. “That’s the job I do here. I’ve very OK with that, for sure.”
As the Penguins continue to get healthier, they should eventually add forward Nick Bjugstad to the fold. Zach Aston-Reese, who is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, is also expected back. And with the trade deadline looming on Monday, the Penguins could certainly add another piece to their forward group.
Forming new line combinations and integrating the injured players back in the lineup may be a challenge. But with his ability to play so many different places, Kahun will be able to add value to the roster — no matter where he ultimately plays.
Malkin returns from illness
Two nights after he was a late scratch due to illness, Malkin rejoined the Penguins lineup for Thursday night’s game in Toronto.
The Penguins were caught a bit off guard at the last minute when Malkin could not play Tuesday. He also sat out of practice Wednesday to continue to recover. On Thursday morning, Malkin was one of a handful of players who skated at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
“He feels a lot better,” Sullivan said Thursday morning. “We’re certainly encouraged that he’ll be able to play.”
Trotman back after injuries
Defenseman Zach Trotman rejoined the Penguins’ locker room Thursday — and he brought a brand new, four-inch scar on his lip with him.
Yeah, it’s been that kind of season for Trotman.
The defenseman started his season on injured reserve after undergoing sports hernia surgery for the second time in his career. He was recalled to the NHL club from Nov. 21-Dec. 6. But soon after he was reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he was concussed and forced to sit out for six weeks.
“There were some dark times in there,” Trotman said of his rehab. “It’s never fun to go through.”
Had Trotman been healthy, he may have been a candidate to earn a promotion to the NHL when Justin Schultz suffered a lower-body injury. Every time Sullivan or general manger Jim Rutherford discuss the Penguins’ blue-line depth, they always make a point to note that they consider Trotman one of their nine NHL-caliber defensemen. But instead of filling that role, Trotman’s own injury eliminated that possibility.
Then, when he returned from the head injury, Trotman was sliced open by a skate and got eight stitches. (Did we mention it’s been that kind of season for him?)
Healthy again, Trotman was added to the Penguins’ roster this week to give them some roster flexibility and insurance on the right side of their blue line.
“It’s always great to be up here,” Trotman said. “It’s been an up-and-down year for me as far as injuries go. It’s nice to be up here again, be back on their radar and just be here to help the team.”
Trotman was a healthy scratch on Thursday night. The Penguins stuck with their same defensive corps. Kris Letang and Jack Johnson skated together on the top pairing. Marcus Pettersson and Schutlz made up the second pairing. Juuso Riikola and Chad Ruhwedel were the third group.
Murray between the pipes
Matt Murray got the nod in net on Thursday, his ninth start in 2020. Since the New Year, he’s 6-1-1 with a .929 save percentage and 2.22 goals-against average.
Mike DeFabo: mdefabo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @MikeDeFabo
First Published: February 20, 2020, 7:23 p.m.
