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Penguins Injury Notes: Poulin, Puustinen, Sparks

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a rocky start to the season and were possibly eyeing some reinforcements for a fourth line that has been unable to generate anything thus far this season. Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey is reporting that the team received some unfortunate news today on the injury front as a couple of possible call-ups are hurt and will be out week to week.

Sam Poulin received an extended look at Penguins training camp and was likely one of the first players in line for an NHL call-up. But, unfortunately for the 22-year-old center, it appears he will be out of action week to week with a lower-body injury. Poulin missed a good portion of last season to focus on his mental health and came back this year looking stronger than ever. His positive play hasn’t translated to his offensive numbers as he has just a goal and an assist in five AHL games, but he remains one of the Penguins’ best call-up options in the AHL and could receive a promotion when he returns to action.

In other Penguins injury notes:

  • Valtteri Puustinen is also out week to week for the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins according to Androckitis. The 24-year-old was another Penguins forward who had a strong showing at training camp and could have likely cracked the lineup if it weren’t for his contract status. Puustinen is out with an upper-body injury, which when added to Poulin’s injury could leave the Penguins with very few call-up options should they decide to make the move for fourth-line reinforcements from internally.
  • Finally, Androckitis is reporting that Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins netminder Garret Sparks will be out of action week to week after suffering a lower-body injury. The 30-year-old goaltender signed a one-year AHL contract with the Baby Penguins in the offseason and has dressed in just one game so far this year. The Penguins signed several goaltenders with NHL experience in the offseason to try and build up depth at the position for circumstances such as this. Sparks backstopped the Toronto Marlies to a Calder Cup in 2018 on top of playing 40 career NHL games.

Penguins Recall Vinnie Hinostroza, Radim Zohorna

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  • The Penguins have once again recalled Vinnie Hinostroza and Radim Zohorna from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and they participated in practice this morning, per Penguins play-by-play announcer Josh Getzoff. The two were papered down after the Penguins’ last game, helping the team bank cap space on off days while netminder Alex Nedeljkovic remains on LTIR. Zohorna has two points through four contests this season, while Hinostroza has yet to make his Penguins debut.

SHL’s IK Oskarshamn Signs Austin Wagner

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IK Oskarshamn of the Swedish Hockey League announced they’ve signed forward Austin Wagner for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. Wagner had attended NHL training camp on a PTO with the Penguins, and while he was never officially released from his tryout, he did not sign a standard contract with Pittsburgh.

Wagner, 26, split last season between the Kings and Blackhawks organizations but only appeared in NHL games with Chicago. The Calgary-born natural winger posted a goal and an assist in seven games with the Blackhawks last season, averaging 12:08 per game and posting a -2 rating. Wagner, who also recorded 12 points in 24 games with AHL Ontario last year, could not secure a roster spot in Pittsburgh over veteran additions like Noel Acciari and Matthew Nieto nor in-house options like Drew O’Connor.

Wagner has split his time in the pro leagues almost evenly in the NHL and AHL since turning pro in 2017. A 2015 fourth-round draft choice of the Kings, Wagner has 178 games of NHL experience dating back to 2018, recording 23 goals and 19 assists for 42 points. After giving the Kings some solid depth production while on his entry-level deal, his effectiveness diminished after signing a three-year, $3.4MM extension with the team in 2020, a deal that he played most of in the minors. While slated for restricted free agency last summer, the Blackhawks did not issue him a qualifying offer after acquiring him via trade from the Kings on deadline day in March.

Oskarshamn is off to a tough start this season, sitting second-to-last in the league with a 3-9-2-0 record and 13 points. The club, which earned promotion from the HockeyAllsvenskan in 2019, will need to kick things into high gear to avoid relegation back to the second-tier league next Spring. Wagner joins an offense currently led by former Senators prospect Viktor Lodin, who has five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 14 contests.

Adam Johnson Passes Away

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Former NHL forward Adam Johnson has tragically passed away after suffering a major medical emergency during a game last night with the EIHL’s Nottingham Panthers. Nottingham confirmed his passing this morning after Johnson suffered a cut during a game against the Sheffield Steelers last night. The 29-year-old was attended to by medical personnel as fans were asked to leave the arena after the incident had occurred. A statement from Johnson’s former NHL team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, can be found here.

The unfortunate sequence of events started with a collision at center ice that caused Johnson to suffer an injury to his throat. The players from both teams formed a circle around him before screens were brought onto the ice as paramedics attended to him. This morning the Panthers released an official statement saying:

The Nottingham Panthers are truly devastated to announce that Adam Johnson has tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night. The club will dearly miss him and will never forget him. Adam, our number 47, was not only an outstanding ice hockey player but also a great team-mate and an incredible person with his whole life ahead of him.

The full statement is available here.

Johnson was born in Minnesota and was in his first season in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) after joining the Panthers this offseason. He began playing as a professional in 2017 after spending two years at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he won an NCHC championship in 2017. He spent the first three years of his pro career with the Penguins organization and did dress in some NHL games with the club, posting a goal and three assists in 13 games spread over two NHL seasons. In his AHL career, Johnson dressed in 257 career AHL games with the Ontario Reign, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He registered 50 career AHL goals and 87 assists.

Former NHLer Matt Cullen told Rob Rossi of The Athletic that Johnson was “An unreal kid, just a great guy. A salt-of-the-earth kind of guy. So humble and a very easy person to be around. He’s one of those guys who just loves the game and being around the rink with the guys.”

PHR joins the entire hockey world in mourning the passing of Adam Johnson. Our condolences to the Johnson family and all of his teammates, friends, and peers.

Radim Zohorna And Vinnie Hinostroza Recalled Once Again

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  • Per CapFriendly (Twitter links), the Penguins have recalled both Radim Zohorna and Vinnie Hinostroza from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The pair were papered down on Friday in a move to drop Pittsburgh out of LTIR for the day, allowing them to bank a bit of cap space.  They’ve been doing these shuffles daily lately which should continue for as long as Alex Nedeljkovic is on LTIR.

Update On Alex Nedeljkovic

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  • Yesterday, the Penguins placed netminder Alex Nedeljkovic on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Penguins team reporter Michelle Crechiolo relayed word from head coach Mike Sullivan today, who confirmed Nedeljkovic’s placement on IR and clarified that the player’s status is currently considered “week-to-week.” Nedeljkovic had seized the Penguins’ backup goalie job behind Tristan Jarry and begun the season with a .914 save percentage through two starts. Now, in his absence, the Penguins will turn to Magnus Hellberg as their backup.

Mark Pysyk Returns To Practice

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The Florida Panthers got some good news this morning. Center Sam Bennett has returned to practice for the first time this regular season, per Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards. Bennett sustained a lower-body injury during the preseason that’s kept him out through six games thus far.

If he can get back into playing shape within the next 48 hours, he could make his season debut Saturday against the Kraken. That would likely coincide with a return to the lineup for captain Aleksander Barkov, says Richards, who missed the Panthers’ Tuesday contest against the Sharks with an illness. Bennett, 27, is in the third season of a four-year, $17.7MM extension signed with the Panthers in 2021. Last season was arguably the best of his career, logging a career-high 17:24 while producing 16 goals, 24 assists and 40 points in 63 games. The 2014 fourth-overall pick also finished fourth on the Panthers in playoff scoring, notching five goals and ten assists for 15 points in 20 games.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference this Thursday morning:

  • Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle was a full participant in practice this morning and is nearing a return from an upper-body injury, notes The Athletic’s Arpon Basu. He will not enter the lineup tonight against the Blue Jackets, however, TVA’s Renaud Lavoie says. Guhle, who had an assist and a +4 rating through three games, has not played since October 17 against Minnesota. The Habs have gone 2-1-0 in his absence despite injuries also sidelining blueliner David Savard, forcing the emergency recall of Gustav Lindström from AHL Laval. The 16th overall pick in 2020 is in the second year of his three-year, entry-level contract, which counts $863K against the cap.
  • Despite still being on assignment to AHL Providence, Boston Bruins forward Jesper Boqvist is practicing with the NHL squad today, Bruins independent reporter Joe Haggerty relays. That comes with the news that forwards Jakub Lauko and Milan Lucic are both listed as day-to-day with injuries and will miss between one and two weeks, head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters today. That means recalling Boqvist (or signing PTO invite Danton Heinen) will be necessary to fill out the Bruins’ roster for tonight’s game against Anaheim, as the team has just 11 healthy forwards even after recalling Patrick Brown from Providence this morning.
  • Another unsigned player still with a team on a PTO is defenseman Mark Pysyk, who has returned to practice after sustaining a lower-body injury in preseason, relays Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Shelly Anderson. The 31-year-old spent last season under contract with Detroit but missed the entire campaign with an Achilles injury. He last suited up in an NHL game nearly 18 months ago, logging 12:51 in an April 29, 2022, game for the Sabres against the Blackhawks.

Penguins Recall Vinnie Hinostroza, Radim Zohorna; Reassign Corey Andonovski

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The Penguins have recalled forward Vinnie Hinostroza from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, per a team announcement. In a corresponding transaction, Pittsburgh also reversed the Corey Andonovski and Radim Zohorna flip they made yesterday (as expected), bringing Zohorna back up to the NHL and returning Andonovski to the minors. The Penguins had recalled Andonovski temporarily to help optimize their salary capture when placing netminder Alex Nedeljkovic on LTIR yesterday.

Hinostroza is a new addition, however, earning his first recall since clearing waivers before the season started. The 29-year-old has been an effective volume point-producer in limited action over the past few seasons, but his grasp on an NHL job has slipped after suiting up in just 26 games with the Sabres last season. He’s off to a hot start in the minors, notching two goals and two assists through five games, tying for the team lead with four points.

By placing Nedeljkovic on LTIR, the Penguins now have the cap space for a 21st skater on the roster – which will be Hinostroza. He’s in his first season with the Penguins after signing a one-year, one-way deal worth $775K over the summer. A sixth-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2012, Hinostroza has gone on to appear in 360 NHL games with Chicago, Buffalo, Arizona, and Florida, recording 53 goals and 95 assists for 148 points – a very respectable 0.41 points-per-game pace. The Notre Dame product’s possession numbers have been quite average throughout his career, too, making it a bit puzzling that he hasn’t received longer looks in teams’ lineups. He is prone to inconsistency, but he does have a pair of double-digit goal seasons under his belt. He’s a premier option to have stashed in the minors for a call-up.

Zohorna, 27, will stay in the NHL after notching a goal through his first two contests this season. He’s replaced Jansen Harkins on the Penguins’ third line after Harkins was waived a few days back, lining up with Lars Eller and Drew O’Connor.

Penguins Make Multiple Roster Moves, Place Alex Nedeljkovic On LTIR

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5:14 p.m.: The Penguins have confirmed the moves and officially recalled Hellberg from the AHL.

4:16 p.m.: Per CapFriendly, the Penguins have immediately transferred Nedeljkovic to LTIR after swapping Zohorna for Andonovski on the NHL roster.

4:15 p.m.: The Pittsburgh Penguins made a trio of roster moves Wednesday, per Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic was placed on injured reserve after sustaining an undisclosed injury in last night’s loss to Dallas, while forward Corey Andonovski was recalled from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Forward Radim Zohorna was also sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

As CapFriendly notes, the Andonovski/Zohorna swap is likely a precursor to placing Nedeljkovic on long-term injured reserve. Andonovski’s cap hit is slightly higher than Zohorna’s, which gets the Penguins closer to the $83.5MM Upper Limit before placing Nedeljkovic on LTIR and increases their accruable cap space limit. The cap space freed up by Nedeljkovic’s LTIR placement will then be used to recall a goalie from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, likely veteran farmhand Magnus Hellberg. Andonovski is unlikely to remain on the NHL roster, nor is Zohorna’s demotion expected to be permanent.

It’s unclear when exactly Nedeljkovic sustained the injury, which did not warrant him exiting the game. Last night was the goalie’s second appearance of the season and second appearance as a Penguin after joining the team in free agency last summer. He’ll go on the shelf after posting a 1-1-0 record, .914 SV% and 3.01 GAA in the two appearances.

The Penguins have three goalies under NHL contract stashed in the minors, so their recall options are plentiful. Hellberg, 32, carries the most NHL experience with 23 games, 18 of which came last season with the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators. He did struggle, however, posting a 5-8-1 record and a poor .888 SV% overall, conceding more than seven goals above average. He’s made two appearances thus far with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, splitting them with a 1-1-0 record and a .917 SV%. Their top goalie prospect, 21-year-old Joel Blomqvist, is also a potential recall option with a .929 SV% through two games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season, but the Penguins would likely prefer to give Blomqvist the starter’s net in the minors and more playing time and have Hellberg sit behind starter Tristan Jarry on the NHL roster.

John Ludvig Out Indefinitely With Concussion, Alex Nedeljkovic Sustains Injury

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  • Penguins defenseman John Ludvig did indeed sustain a concussion in last night’s loss against the Stars and remains out of the lineup indefinitely, head coach Mike Sullivan told the Tribune-Review’s Seth Rorabaugh Wednesday. Ludvig, 23, had played just 5:29 in his NHL debut when he attempted to land an open-ice hit on Stars forward Radek Faksa, whose helmet collided with Ludvig’s jaw and caused him to fall to the ice. Pittsburgh claimed the young defenseman off waivers from the Panthers at the beginning of the season.

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