Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, forward Noel Acciari sidelined due to injuries
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In August, new Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas indicated he would not be timid when it came to utilizing waivers to craft his roster.
And throughout the preseason, he did just that by claiming castoffs such as forward Jansen Harkins and defenseman John Ludvig.
It looks like he’ll need to go that route again to maintain his team’s lineup in the early stages of this season.
Defenseman Kris Letang and forward Noel Acciari were absent from practice Thursday in Cranberry because of undisclosed injuries. Coach Mike Sullivan indicated each player was being evaluated for his ailments but offered no other details.
Any absence by Letang, a six-time All-Star, would create an obvious hole in the lineup. Based on Thursday’s practice, coaches seem intent on giving reserve Ryan Shea every opportunity to fill in should there be a need.
A left-hander who can play the right side, Shea skated with left-hander Ryan Graves on the top pairing during practice.
An unrestricted free-agent signing this past summer, Shea has been a healthy scratch through the first four games of the season. After Thursday’s practice, Shea was one of the first skaters off the ice, departing before incumbents on the blue line such as Graves, Erik Karlsson, P.O Joseph, Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel.
Typically, reserves who are frequently scratched, such as Shea, will be the final players to leave the rink.
“It’s just taking it day by day,” said Shea, a 26-year-old who never has played a game of consequence at the NHL level. “Obviously, I haven’t been in the lineup. It’s just working hard on and off the ice. (Strength and conditioning coach Alexi Pianosi) has me in the gym a lot, which has been good for me. On the ice, just working during practice, after practice. Right now, I’ve got to treat the practices like they’re a game.”
Letang and Acciari finished Wednesday’s game, a 5-2 road loss to the Detroit Red Wings, without any apparent issues. Potentially replacing Letang for any length of time won’t be an easy endeavor. In four games this season, he has three assists while averaging 24 minutes, 47 seconds of ice time, second most on the team among non-goaltenders.
Regardless, management professes intrigue in Shea.
“Ryan is a smart player,” Sullivan said. “He’s very good with the puck. I think he’s a guy that has deceptive playmaking ability, helping us get out of our end zone. He defends really well with his stick. I think he’s a good defender. He could potentially help us on the penalty kill, and I think his pace of play is improving with every practice that he has with us. We really like what we’ve seen from Ryan to this point.”
The bottom-six forwards appear to be in flux as well.
After practice, the Penguins waived Harkins, whom they claimed off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 2. Should he go unclaimed by 2 p.m. Friday, the Penguins would be clear to assign him to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.
After a strong preseason, Harkins has been mostly inert in four regular-season contests while primarily deployed on the third line. He has no points, four shots and has averaged 9:28 of ice time.
Another move with waivers might be required if the Penguins opt to dress a traditional lineup of 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders should Acciari’s absence linger into Saturday’s road game against the St. Louis Blues.
In four games this season, Acciari has no points while primarily serving as center of the fourth line. He has averaged 13:22 of ice time, including 1:49 in short-handed scenarios.
During Thursday’s practice, the Penguins used Will Butcher, a reserve defenseman on the nonroster injured list, as a right wing on the fourth line in Acciari’s absence. John Ludvig rotated into the third pairing with Joseph and Ruhwedel.
At the moment, the Penguins have 12 forwards, eight defensemen and two goaltenders on the active NHL roster, equating to only $170,658 of salary cap space, according to Cap Friendly. Considering a league-minimum contract carries a salary cap hit of $775,000, they might need to waive Ludvig, whom they claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers on Oct. 9.
Such a maneuver would create sufficient salary cap space to recall a pair of forwards from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton: one to replace Acciari and another to replace Harkins.
However the lineup shakes out in the next handful of days, Shea pledges to be prepared if called upon.
“When the opportunity comes, I’ll be ready,” Shea said. “I’m ready right now. Whenever it comes, I’ve got to make sure I bring my game and can show management and (coaches) what I can do.”
Notes: The Penguins terminated the contract of forward Karel Plasek after he cleared waivers Thursday. Acquired in a trade from the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, Plasek was formally assigned to the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL but was never expected to truly join the organization. The Penguins merely took on his contract to help each team stay within the NHL’s limit of 50 contracts for the 2023-24 season. With Plasek’s departure, the Penguins now have 48 such contracts. A native of Czechia, Plasek is expected to sign in Europe. … The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins assigned defenseman Isaac Belliveau to the Nailers. A fifth-round draft pick (No. 154 overall) of the Penguins in 2021, Belliveau is in the first year of a three-year entry-level contract. … The Nailers named former Robert Morris forward Justin Addamo as their captain.