Injuries to centers Evgeni Malkin and Nick Bjugstad have opened the door for a Western Pennsylvania native to make his Pittsburgh Penguins debut.
Hollidaysburg’s Sam Lafferty was one of the players the Penguins called up to fill in for Malkin and Bjugstad, who will be out “longer term” with lower-body injuries, coach Mike Sullivan said Monday. Free-agent addition Andrew Agozzino was the other player called up.
Lafferty, 24, played top-line right wing as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton opened its season in Hershey on Saturday night. A 2014 fourth-round draft pick out of Brown, he was Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s top-scoring forward last year with 13 goals and 49 points in 70 games.
Agozzino, 28, spent the first seven seasons of his pro career in the Colorado organization before signing with the Penguins in July. He had 26 goals and 60 points in the AHL last season. He has recorded five points in 21 career NHL games.
Agozzino started Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s season as the team’s top-line center.
