The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin against the Dallas Stars and turn to their young guns for reinforcement.
With injuries continuing to pile up for the Pittsburgh Penguins - as has been the case all season long - the team keeps requiring the aid of players from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), their AHL affiliate.
And it appears one forward prospect is about to get another chance to prove himself at the NHL level.
Ahead of their Saturday matchup against the Dallas Stars, the Penguins recalled forward Rutger McGroarty from WBS to help address their need up front, and they re-assigned forwards Avery Hayes and Joona Koppanen to the AHL. The recall coincides with the news that centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are both day-to-day and will not play Saturday.
Malkin is set to miss his third consecutive game with an upper-body injury, while Crosby sustained a lower-body injury during Thursday's 4-3 shootout win against the Ottawa Senators.
McGroarty - who turns 22 in two days - has seen a couple of stints at the NHL level after missing both training camp and the first month and a half of the season with an upper-body injury. In 20 NHL games this season, he has two goals and five points, and he has been used in various positions throughout the lineup.
Penguins' head coach Dan Muse confirmed ahead of Saturday's game that McGroarty will be in the lineup, and he will play on the third line - a "kid line" - with fellow rookies Ben Kindel and Ville Koivunen.
In 26 AHL games this season, McGroarty has seven goals and 27 points. He has just a goal and two points in his last six games.
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