Penguins Forward Likely Out for Season
The Pittsburgh Penguins will likely not see a depth forward return to the lineup this season.
PITTSBURGH – Noel Acciari may be seeing his first season with the Pittsburgh Penguins come to a faster end than he may have expected. After an early exit in the loss to the Colorado Avalanche, the Penguins placed Acciari on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury.
The designation to LTIR guarantees that Acciari will be out for at least 10 games or 24 days. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan labeled Acciari as week-to-week. This doesn’t necessarily mean Acciari’s season is over, but that is the likely outcome for the depth forward.
Barring a miraculous push for the playoffs, Acciari’s first day of eligibility to return would be the day after the Penguins’ regular season ends.
While this injury allowed Sam Poulin to get another crack at the NHL roster, Acciari has been a critical depth piece for the Penguins. Although he hasn’t scored much, as a fourth-line center, he has brought an important element to the team.
In 55 games, Acciari has scored four goals and three assists for seven total points. He leads forwards in blocked shots with 85 and has a team-leading 124 hits. Acciari’s presence has done wonders for the Penguins’ penalty kill this season.
Sullivan says Acciari’s skillset isn’t easy to replace, and they will have to work by committee to cover for his absence.
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