In an 82 game season and a sport as physical as hockey is, injuries are bound to happen as it is a part of the game. However, part of what separates the good teams from the great ones is having depth to hold the fort until those players come back. The season has not even started yet and somehow the Pittsburgh Penguins are already bitten by the injury bug.
Nobody ever wishes for injuries, but as mentioned earlier, they happen. Penguins fans may look on the bright side and hope if they deal with the injury bug early, hopefully the Penguins roster will be relatively healthy throughout the season.
Pittsburgh Penguins Injury Bug
Alex Nedeljkovic
One of the latest injuries Penguins injuries is a crushing one as it comes to backup goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. Nedeljkovic will be sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He was injured in the preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings and did not finish the game.
This is a crushing blow as Nedeljkovic experienced a tremendous bounce back season this past year. He finished with a record of 18-7-7 and was the starter during the Penguins ten game point streak late in the season. He also had a .902 save percentage and a 2.97 goals against average. As a result, he was rewarded a two-year, $5 million dollar contract extension.
Joel Blomqvist
Goalie Joel Blomqvist is not injured, but it is noteworthy to mention he will be the teams new backup goaltender. If he suits up in a game this season, it would be his NHL debut. The former second round pick has been solid in the AHL and is now looking to get some reps in the NHL.
Erik Karlsson
Easily the biggest name on this list is superstar defenceman Erik Karlsson. Karlsson is an important part of this team. His health is crucial as the Penguins will rely on him to go back to the playoffs. Karlsson is still dealing with his upper body injury and is still day-to-day. However, Karlsson skated for the first time this morning as part of his rehab program. In addition, Karlsson made it clear he will be playing opening night against the New York Rangers.
However, if for some reason Karlsson cannot go opening night, newly signed defenseman Sebastian Aho could be ready to go.
Blake Lizotte
Another player who was injured is another Penguin that was brought in this past offseason in Blake Lizotte. During a preseason game with the Ottawa Senators, Lizotte took a puck to the head. He was later diagnosed with an concussion and is out for an extended period of time.
This injury comes at an unfortunate time as Lizotte was playing well throughout training camp and preseason. He was looking solid in the bottom six as he was expected to have a spot on the main roster opening night. Hopefully, when he returns he can continue to have success and build off of his momentum and have a decent season for the Penguins this year.
Matt Nieto
Another player who is still injured is Matt Nieto. Nieto has been injured going all the way back to last season where he played just 22 games for the Penguins. He is listed as month-to-month as he is still recovering from reconstructive MCL surgery. However, similarly to Karlsson, Nieto also started skating as part of his rehab program.
However, even when Nieto returns, it may be difficult for him to find playing time or at least in Pittsburgh. General Manager Kyle Dubas spent the offseason acquiring tons of depth at the forward position, so there would be a lot of guys Nieto would have to beat out. Also, Nieto is at a disadvantage as he is not participated in team drills due to recovering from his injury. Also, who knows when he does return if he will be the same player as before. Even then, in the 22 games with the Penguins last season, he only had four points including one goal. There might not be any light at the end of the tunnel for Nieto when he returns or at least in Pittsburgh.
Main Photo: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images
