The Pittsburgh Penguins face an early challenge with a slew of players starting the season on injured reserve. Gearing up for the 2024-25 season, forwards Blake Lizotte and Bryan Rust, along with goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic will start the season sidelined. All three players were expected to play impact roles with the team. As such, their injuries present opportunities for several players. This article explores how players like Cody Glass, Anthony Beauvillier and Joel Blomqvist could seize this opportunity to carve out crucial roles in the Penguins lineup.
Injuries Opening Spots in the Penguins Lineup
Bryan Rust‘s Absence Opens Up a Spot in the Top Six
Bryan Rust’s Impact
Long-time Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust will start the 2024-25 season on injured reserve following a lower-body injury during preseason. With the absence of Jake Guentzel, Rust plays an important role as captain Sidney Crosby’s longest-active winger. The pair have developed tons of chemistry over the past near decade they have played together. Rust’s two-way ability and offensive prowess make him the Swiss army knife of the Penguins. He can play anywhere up and down the lineup, on the power play and the penalty kill. He is not expected to be missing from the lineup for a long time. However, the gap in the lineup presents a great opportunity for other wingers to gain experience playing alongside Crosby on the top line.
Potential Replacements
Signed in the off-season, journeyman Anthony Beauvillier will be given the first look on the top line alongside Drew O’Connor. A former New York Islanders draft pick, Beauvillier has served on numerous NHL teams like the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks. He will be looking to grab a larger role alongside Crosby in hopes of securing a permanent home in the NHL this season. Beauvillier has shown flashes of offensive potential in the past but hasn’t been able to produce consistently. A speedy winger, his offensive instincts could pair well with Crosby while Sid and O’Connor play in the dirty areas. Although Beauvillier’s preseason performance left much to be desired, he has an opportunity with Rust’s injury to elevate his game with the Penguins.
Alternatively, former Winnipeg Jets first-round pick Rutger McGroarty is another fantastic option to play with Crosby and O’Connor. Coming off a fantastic preseason, McGroarty is set to begin the season on the third line with Lars Eller and Jesse Puljujärvi. The trio showed tremendous chemistry in their time during preseason. His playstyle has been likened to former Penguin Patric Hornqvist and Drew O’Connor. Although his path to the top line would be more difficult than Beauvillier’s, the chance is still there for the rookie to play alongside one of the greatest in hockey history.
Blake Lizotte’s Injury Causes a Gap in the Bottom Six
Blake Lizotte was set to be a crucial component of the Pittsburgh Penguins bottom six forward group prior to going on injured reserve. Having signed in the off-season, Lizotte sustained a concussion during training camp leading him to being placed on injured reserve. He is known for his relentless forechecking, defensive reliability and penalty-killing ability. Although he is primarily known as a defensive forward, Lizotte has demonstrated his ability to produce offensively as well. He scored 34 points in 81 games in 2022-23. His absence leaves a gap on the fourth line and on the penalty kill.
Cody Glass’s Moment to Shine
A former sixth overall pick by the Vegas Golden Knights, Cody Glass comes into this season with a chance to carve out a stable NHL role in the Penguins bottom six. Glass brings size and defensive ability to the Penguins. As Head Coach Mike Sullivan alluded to in a preseason interview, Glass still has the potential to produce offensively. Being trusted defensively is the minimum Sullivan expects out of his bottom six forwards. However, adding depth offence was a significant goal set by general manager Kyle Dubas this offseason. A strong showing early in the season could allow Glass to secure a permanent role.
Alex Nedeljkovic‘s Injury Could Mean Joel Blomqvist’s Rise
Back-up Alex Nedeljkovic’s injury leaves a spot open behind starting goaltender Tristan Jarry. Jarry himself has a history of both injury and inconsistency. While Jarry is beginning the season as the starting netminder, Nedeljkovic is capable of stealing the spot from. He was able to do so late last season, going 8-3-1 in the Penguins playoff push. As Tristan Jarry has historically struggled in high-pressure situations, Nedeljkovic represents a reliable back-up option. His injury leaves the team vulnerable should anything go wrong with Jarry’s performance.
Enter Joel Blomqvist. The former second-round pick is the top goaltending prospect in the Penguins system. He has shown immense potential at the AHL level with the Wilkes-Barre Penguins. Last season, the netminder went 25-12-6 with a .921 save percentage. He was also named an AHL all-star. Blomqvist’s ability to perform under pressure makes him an interesting backup option behind Jarry while Nedeljkovic recovers. With Nedeljkovic already pushing Jarry for the starting role, Blomqvist has the potential to further create questions in the Penguins goaltending department. This would not be the first time the team has dealt with this issue either, as AHL goaltending stalwart Matt Murray took the starting role from Marc-Andre Fleury following injuries to the Penguins goaltending group in 2016. Murray would ride his momentum all the way to the Stanley Cup that season.
Conclusion
Although the injuries to Blake Lizotte, Bryan Rust, and Alex Nedeljkovic are setbacks for the Pittsburgh Penguins, their absences create windows for other players to make an impact. Players like Anthony Beauvillier and Rutger McGroarty could flex their offensive muscles alongside Sidney Crosby. Meanwhile, Cody Glass has a chance to finally establish himself in an NHL lineup as a valuable bottom-six contributor. Finally, rookie goaltender Joel Blomqvist has the chance to gain experience from a shaky goaltending situation. These early season injuries will challenge the organization’s depth and resilience early while offering a chance for the team to see what they have in players that would not have otherwise seen these opportunities so soon. The first few weeks of the season are crucial, so these players have a large task ahead of them to begin the season.
Main Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
