Ty Smith is back on the Pittsburgh Penguins roster and after starting the season in the AHL. PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins are looking for a statement win over the New Jersey Devils, but they’ll be heading into battle with a depleted defensive core. Mike Sullivan confirmed following the Penguins’ morning skate that Kris Letang will be out day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Chad Ruhwedel missed the last game against the Detroit Red Wings and will continue to be out of the lineup as his status remains the same. Jeff Petry is still on long term injured reserve and won’t be back until at least a week into the new year. This is a far from ideal circumstance for the Penguins, but thankfully, they have enough NHL ready defensemen to fill in the gaps. Mark Friedman was recently recalled and made his season debut playing in place of Ruhwedel against Detroit. With the new injury to Letang, this means for certain that Ty Smith will make his Penguins debut against his old team in the Devils. The Penguins acquired Smith via trade for John Marino during the offseason and after a solid training camp and preseason, Smith was sent to the AHL to begin the year. In 26 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Smith has recorded 14 points (4G-10A). Some fans will see this as a long awaited debut for Smith who has a bright future and is currently one of the best young defensemen in the organization. His debut is just made even better given it’s against his old team. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Penguins Look for Statement Win Over Devils [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-need-statement-win-over-new-jersey-devils] It's Past Time for the Penguins To Sit Brian Dumoulin [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-past-time-sit-brian-dumoulin] 3 Things to Watch: Penguins vs. Devils [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-three-things-watch-new-jersey-devils] Ty Smith Excited To Be Back on Penguins Roster, Working On Growing Defensive Game [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-ty-smith-excited-on-nhl-roster-growing-as-defender] Penguins Defenseman Kris Letang Being Evaluated For Lower-Body Injury [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-kris-letang-evaluated-lower-body-injury] * undefined * undefined