The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting closer to full health with a few key players returning.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are slowing working their way back to a fully healthy roster and it seems a few key names are ready to return.
Ahead of puck drop against the Minnesota Wild, the Penguins have elevated forward Rickard Rakell from long-term injured reserve and forward Noel Acciari from regular injured reserve.
Rakell has been working his way back to the lineup by skating at a pair of practices on the first line with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel.
Acciari will likely slot back into the Penguins’ lineup as the fourth line center, the position he’s held all season.
Upon their returns, Rakell is looking forward to a fresh start as he still searching for his first goal of the season and Acciari will look to help shore up a struggling Penguins penalty kill.
To make room on the salary cap for those move, the Penguins have placed Bryan Rust on long-term injured reserve.
To make room for these two to return, the Penguins have re-assigned Marc Johnstone and Jonathan Gruden to the American Hockey League.
Johnstone played in one game, his NHL debut, and was a healthy scratch in every game that followed.
Gruden maned the fourth line in Acciari’s absence playing in four games and averaging 7:21 of ice time per game.
Defenseman Chad Ruhwedel was elevated from injured reserve ahead of the Penguins contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs but did not play.
Head coach Mike Sullivan listed Rakell, Acciari, and Ruhwedel all as game-time decisions.
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