CRANBERRY, Twp., Pa. — The Pittsburgh Penguins are back to square one. Their lines, their choices, and even their season are again a great unknown after the Wednesday bombshell that captain Sidney Crosby will miss at least the next four weeks.

The Penguins’ lines Tuesday and Wednesday were largely undisturbed as coach Dan Muse opted for minimal disruption and played the cards he was dealt, though those cards appear to be an offsuit 2-7 (the dead man’s hand).

Rickard Rakell indeed appears to be slotted as Muse’s first choice to be the No. 1 center. He’ll pivot Bryan Rust and rookie Avery Hayes, who has exactly one NHL game experience.

The remainder of the lines will be the same as they were before the NHL pushed pause for three weeks on the 2025-26 season in favor of watching Czech defenseman Radko Gudas thump Crosby in the International Olympic competition, and Team USA leaving a beer-soaked celebration trail from Milan to Washington, D.C. before scattering back to their NHL homes.

Ben Kindel will center Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha, while Tommy Novak will be in the middle of Evgeni Malkin and Egor Chinakhov.

For now, the Penguins’ top two centers will be Rakell and Novak, whom Muse quickly praised on Wednesday.

“Tommy’s played great for us. You’ve seen it throughout the year. He’s played a lot in the middle, but he’s also done it on the wing. With (Rakell), you go back to the beginning of training camp, he spent some time there, working and playing center,” said Muse. “And you get into a time like right now, I’m glad we did that. And I also think he’s played center before–This isn’t us throwing him into a situation he’s never been in … He’s in that position, even just the way he plays the game. He ends up low quite a bit.

“And so, yeah, I think it’s opportunities. And so my expectation is that guys will take full advantage of those opportunities in front of them, and we go from there.”

Over the last 32 games, Novak has produced a healthy 22 points, including nine goals. He’s taken the second-line center spot with Evgeni Malkin’s move to the wing and the inclusion of Egor Chinakhov in the lineup on Dec. 29.

However, Muse again sidestepped questions of Malkin moving back to the center. Despite what would seem a natural slide–one of the best centers of the 21st century who has enjoyed a resurgent season, Muse didn’t bite.

“I think there’ll be a lot of options that we can consider. I think what you saw today is the starting point,” Muse said. “So, we’ll continue to reevaluate and go.”

There has been persistent talk, including implications from general manager Kyle Dubas on his bi-weekly team radio show in early February, that Malkin’s shoulder is not healthy enough to take faceoffs. Muse’s decision to use Rakell over Malkin seems to confirm those inferences, at least for the time being.

Rather than shoehorn another injured player into a spot in the lineup, Hayes, 23, will get a good look in a prime position. The Penguins’ undrafted free agent who scraped his way into the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins lineup before making his NHL debut against the Buffalo Sabres in the final game before the Olympic break on Feb. 5.

Hayes scored a pair of goals and was a primary catalyst in the Penguins’ 5-2 win.

Sam Girard and Kris Letang

The book on newly acquired defenseman Sam Girard is that he’s a small, puck-moving defenseman. At 27 years old, he’s already played 588 NHL games. This season, Girard has played 40 games, registering 12 points (3-9-12).

His role steadily diminished over the last few seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, and he became a target for fans as he underperformed in the playoffs against more physical teams.

On paper, he would not seem to be an ideal partner for Penguins D-man Kris Letang, himself a smaller puck-moving, offensive defenseman who is best suited to pair with defensive defensemen.

In emailed comments to several outlets Tuesday, Dubas insinuated Girard would get a greater opportunity with the Penguins. And now it seems Muse is making it happen, though it is a gamble.

“(Girard) is a really good puck mover. Just going back (to the defensive zone), he’s a deceptive skater, too. He can really break pressure there with his skating,” Muse said. “At the blue line, the same thing. He’s a guy who has a different type of offense there.

“In terms of the movement, I think he probably doesn’t get enough credit for how well he defends. He does a really good job. I think when you’re a player that size–he’s not the biggest guy in the world–he defends really well just with his brain, and he anticipates with really good stick detail.”

Girard met the Pittsburgh media for the first time on Wednesday. After falling on the Colorado depth chart, the soft-spoken blue liner is excited for a new opportunity. After nearly a decade in Colorado, Girard will bolster the Penguins’ breakouts and join the penalty kill.

“(I’m) very good at getting the puck out of the zone. I think that’s my first quality, and obviously, using my feet; I have some good speed,” said Girard. “So I think I can bring some offense to the team, as well. But you know, it’s gonna take a little bit to get adjust the system of the team, and yeah, I’m just going to have to make sure I’m ready for (Thursday) night.”

Tags: Penguins lines Pittsburgh Penguins sam girard Sidney Crosby

Categorized:Penguins Practice Pittsburgh Penguins