CRANBERRY — Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rutger McGroarty has been out for 11 days with a concussion, his timetable for return unknown.
Wednesday, McGoarty returned to Penguins practice for the first time. He sported the customary white jersey to denote non-contact status. He has not played since the Penguins’ 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 3.
Update, per coach Dan Muse:
“No change in status. A non-contact day, but great to have him on the ice,” Muse said. “Obviously, with a concussion, (medical staff) will take their time. Obviously the next step is contact.”
This season, McGroarty has battled multiple injuries. He missed all of training camp and preseason with an upper-body injury before being assigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in November.
He played only a handful of games at WBS, scoring four goals with seven points. McGroarty’s play quickly earned him a call-up to the Penguins. His play has been solid, but his offensive production has been lacking.
In 16 NHL games, the 21-year-old has just three points (2-1-3) and a minus-5 rating. McGroarty largely played on “The Kids Line” with rookies Ben Kindel and Ville Koivunen.
It also seemed Muse was toying with new line combos for the lineup that has scuffled against the puck and their offensive instincts.
Muse put Evgeni Malkin and Tommy Novak on the wings beside Ben Kindel in the rush drill toward the end of practice. Kindel was back with Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha in the following three-on-three short-ice drill.
Kevin Hayes also had a regular cycle in the drills, joining Kindel on several occasions. However, Hayes was also paired with Ryan Graves as an extra defenseman, too.
Tags: Penguins Practice Pittsburgh Penguins rutger mcgroarty
Categorized: Penguins Practice