A Penguins team that’s already missing much of its star power will be forced to weather another extended absence to a key player.
Bryan Rust will be out “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury, coach Mike Sullivan said on Monday when he classified the forward’s injury status for the first time.
Rust was knocked out of Thursday’s game when he absorbed a high, hard hit from Florida’s MacKenzie Weegar. On Saturday, Sullivan said the team was still evaluating Rust to determine a recovery window. Later that day, the Penguins placed him on injured reserve retroactive to Oct. 14.
Sullivan has often lauded Rust’s evolution as a player. After earning his place in the league initially as a role-playing winger who could be moved up and down the lineup, Rust has ascended in recent seasons into a verified top-line forward. No Penguin has netted more goals than Rust’s 49 since the beginning of the 2019-20 season. As a result, he’s gone from an effective penalty killer to someone who can be a factor on the other side of the special teams battle, the power play.
Rust’s absence leaves the Penguins without three of their regular top-six forwards, as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are also sidelined as they recover from offseason surgeries. Yet, without those key players, the club has still earned five of the possible six points in the standings thanks to role players stepping up into more prominent positions.
“I think that we’re just playing a really simple game, putting pucks in,” said forward Zach Aston-Reese, who was sidelined himself to start the season after a bout with COVID. “We’ve been doing a really good job on the forecheck, pressuring teams’ D and creating our offense off our defense. We haven’t been giving up a lot of odd-man rushes. I know that’s something the last three years that coach has talked a lot about, and that’s what stands out to him.”
The player currently filling Rust’s void on the top line’s right wing, Danton Heinen, has been a significant part of that success. Through three games, the $1.1 million offseason addition has potted a team-high three goals. He again skated on the top line during Monday’s practice, alongside center Jeff Carter and left winger Jake Guentzel.
Malkin resumes skating, Crosby ruled out
The Penguins will again be missing Crosby and Malkin during Tuesday’s game, as Sullivan officially ruled the captain out. However, there was some encouraging news on the injury front.
Malkin skated in a track suit ahead of practice. Sullivan said it’s the first time the big Russian center has been on the ice since his right knee surgery.
“It’s his first step,” Sullivan said. “He’s been working extremely hard off the ice going through the rehab process. But certainly, [skating is] a significant step for him.”
Malkin, 34, was initially injured on March 16 of last season. He returned for the final four games of the postseason but eventually underwent surgery in the first week of June.
During training camp, general manager Ron Hextall said he anticipated Malkin would miss at least the first two months of the regular season.
In Malkin’s absence, versatile forward Evan Rodrigues has been promoted to the second line. Skating between Jason Zucker and Kasperi Kapanen, Rodrigues has tallied two goals and one assist. When Rodrigues has been on the ice during 5-on-5 situations, the Penguins have generated 78.5% of the expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick, a team-high among forwards who have played in all three games.
“I think they’ve had some real good moments,” Sullivan said. “For me, [Rodrigues] is a real versatile player. He’s got good offensive instincts. He can distribute the puck. And I think [Zucker] and [Kapanen] have the potential to score 20 to 30 goals in this league.”
“It was nice to see [Zucker] get on the scoresheet the other night,” Sullivan continued. “I think [Kapanen] had a tremendous training camp. His speed, his conditioning, his overall games has been really good. That is a line we think we can rely on offensively but also have the ability to play on the other side of the puck.”
Meanwhile, Crosby, who is recovering from left wrist surgery, skated ahead of practice but didn’t stick around for the main session. The captain’s participation has been mixed throughout his rehab, as he’s sometimes practiced with the full team and more recently worked individually.
Matheson nearing return, Friedman leaves practice
Defenseman Mike Matheson continues to make progress in his rehab from a nagging lower-body injury and could be nearing a return as soon as Tuesday.
The left-shot defenseman participated without any restrictions during Monday’s practice, including on the second power play unit. During line rushes, Matheson was paired with righty Chad Ruhwedel.
“I spoke to Mike after practice just to get his feedback on he felt,” Sullivan said. “He reiterated to me that he felt really strong. We’ll see how he responds overnight, but we’re certainly encouraged.”
Matheson similarly was injured early last season, which he used as an opportunity to study the Penguins’ system from a different vantage point in the press box. Due to the nature of the injury, which doesn’t have as clear of a timeframe as other ailments, he’s been forced to practice patience.
“One day it feels really good and you think you’re there,” Matheson said. “You kind of start looking at the schedule at what game you can get into. You think, ‘Oh, maybe I can get into that one, but then we have a certain number of days after that one. Maybe it makes more sense to wait another.’
“It’s tough to stay patient. But that’s the most important thing. You don’t want to come back too early and set yourself back even further.”
Pierre-Olivier Joseph, who was recalled from the AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to provide an insurance policy on the blue line, was reassigned to the minors on Sunday. He was not at practice in Cranberry on Monday. That could be another indication that Matheson is getting closer to making his season debut.
While Matheson continues to make progress, fellow defenseman Mark Friedman departed practice early on Monday. Sullivan said the club is evaluating the blue-liner for a lower-body injury, but the coach said they “don’t anticipate it being serious.”
The 25-year-old righty has appeared in all three games, playing his off side to help fill Matheson’s void. Through three games, Friedman and Ruhwedel have formed a reliable pairing that is actually the Penguins’ best combo in a few statistical categories. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Penguins produced 82% of the high-danger chances and 78% of the expected goals with Friedman on the ice at 5-on-5.
Mike DeFabo: mdefabo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @MikeDeFabo.
First Published: October 18, 2021, 6:46 p.m.