Pittsburgh Penguins Derick Brassard was moved to the injured reserve list after suffering a lower-body injury. The move was made retroactive to Wednesday according to the NHL Media Site. The team has yet to announce a timeline for his return.
Derick Brassard placed on IR
Brassard suffered a lower-body injury towards the end of the October 25th game against the Calgary Flames. Pittsburgh won the contest with a final score of 9-1. Brassard hasn’t been on the ice since, missing four consecutive games as of Saturday. He also hasn’t participated in any practices with the team in almost a week and a half.
Not sure when this changed, but Derick Brassard is officially on injured reserve per the NHL's media Web site. He was listed as an active part of the Penguins' roster according to the game notes distributed by the league this morning.
He has been sidelined for four games.
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) November 4, 2018
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has said Brassard is making progress with the nagging injury and he considers him to be “status quo.” There has been no official announcement regarding the timeline for his return.
In the eight games Brassard has participated in this season, he currently owns one goal and four assists for five points. Over his 14-year NHL career, Brassard has played 724 games, racking up 163 goals and 270 assists for a total of 433 points.
What this means for the future
Brassard is a solid third line centre for the Penguins. Sullivan briefly experimented with him on the wing before eventually moving him back to his natural position at the center. The forward had been playing through the injury for some time apparently. In doing so, he may have aggravated the condition.
The team certainly has the center depth to survive without him for the duration of his absence. Most recently, the team has used Riley Sheahan, Daniel Sprong, and veteran Matt Cullen to fill the void left by Brassard. They’re trying to find some balance between the two bottom lines in hopes of evening out the workload. Pittsburgh is hoping Brassard will make a quick recovery and be able to get back in the groove of things again.
Main Photo: PITTSBURGH, PA – MARCH 03: Pittsburgh Penguins Center Derick Brassard (19) skates with the puck during the overtime period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders on March 3, 2018, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. The Penguins defeated the Islanders 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
