The Pittsburgh Penguins have started the season off extremely well, collecting three wins and four games. A major contributor to that early-season success has been winger Jake Guentzel, who is tied for second on the team with three goals and five points. The Penguins are getting ready to begin a five-game road trip, and they may be without Guentzel for some of that period.
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told the media today, as relayed by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey, that Guentzel missed practice and is being evaluated for an upper-body injury. Guentzel was hit by a Kris Letang shot late in last night’s win over the Los Angeles Kings and also suffered a collision with Kings forward Brendan Lemieux. In Guentzel’s absence, Danton Heinen was elevated to the Penguins’ top line, while Brock McGinn took Heinen’s slot on the team’s third line.
Some other Metropolitan Division notes:
- If Guentzel does indeed miss time with an upper-body injury, the Penguins could be forced to use seven defensemen until he returns. Injured forward Teddy Blueger is still wearing a non-contact jersey in practice, and as Taylor Haase of DK Pittsburgh Sports notes, the Penguins don’t have the cap space to recall a forward. Coach Sullivan is no stranger to guiding the Penguins through injury troubles, though, and he’ll definitely have his hands full as he looks to sustain the Penguins’ hot start.
- Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis is leading a group that is reportedly the front-runner to purchase Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals, per reporting from The Athletic’s David Aldridge, Brittany Ghiroli, and Ken Rosenthal. Leonsis has been the owner of the Capitals since 1999 and would become just the second owner of teams in three of the four major U.S. professional men’s sports leagues. For more information on Leonsis’ potential purchase, we refer you to the more extensive coverage over at MLB Trade Rumors.