More than likely, the Pittsburgh Penguins won't have to wait much longer for one of their forwards to return to the lineup.
On Wednesday, forward Kevin Hayes - who has been on injured reserve with an upper-body injury since training camp - took line rushes and was a full participant in practice. He skated on the fourth line with Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar.
Hayes, 33, is in the final year of a seven-year contract, and the Penguins are responsible for $3.57 million of his $7.1 million total cap hit. In 64 games with the Penguins last season, the 6-foot-3, 217-pound center registered 13 goals and 23 points.
Just days ago, it appeared that the Penguins were going to have some very hard decisions to make regarding the roster in order to activate Hayes. However, things have changed very quickly.
On Tuesday, Pittsburgh placed three players - forwards Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari as well as goaltender Tristan Jarry - on injured reserve and re-assigned young defenseman Owen Pickering to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) to get more AHL reps after a few shaky games at the NHL level.
In a few corresponding moves, the Penguins recalled forward Danton Heinen, defenseman Ryan Graves, and top goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov. However, because of the optioning of Pickering, the Penguins still have one open roster spot, as they're actively carrying 12 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders. This means they can activate Hayes without a corresponding roster move.
The Penguins play the Washington Capitals on Thursday, and Hayes appears poised for a potential return. Pittsburgh have yet to activate him from injured reserve.
Penguins Call Up 3 Players & Announce Several Roster MovesThe Pittsburgh Penguins have made a series of roster moves. Other injury notes:
- The Penguins announced that Brazeau (upper-body) would be out at least four weeks, Acciari (upper-body) would be out at least three weeks, and Jarry (lower-body) would be out at least three weeks. No further details were given on their injuries or when they were sustained, although head coach Dan Muse said that Jarry was injured during Monday's 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- Forward Filip Hallander left Wednesday's practice early on and did not return to the ice. He was briefly rotating in on the fourth line before he departed. No update was given on his status.
- Forward prospect Rutger McGroarty continues to rehab in WBS and appears close to returning to the lineup at the AHL level. The 21-year-old McGroarty missed the entirety of training camp and the first month of the regular season with an undisclosed upper-body injury he sustained sometime during the summer.
Penguins Provide Injury Updates On Three Key PlayersThe Pittsburgh Penguins provided some injury updates to three players on Wednesday.Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!