Pregame Preview #65: Jan Rutta & Mikael Granlund Visit Pittsburgh For The First Time After Trade; Sharks Visit Penguins

The San Jose Sharks are visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins, with both teams having nothing to lose but a lot on their minds.

The San Jose Sharks (16-41-7) are visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins (28-27-9), with both teams having nothing to lose but a lot on their minds.

San Jose has officially been eliminated from playoff contention and has the best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. 

The Penguins' playoff hopes look to be gone as they sit seven points out of the second wild-card spot and are winless in their last four. They have traded away Jake Guentzel, and even Sidney Crosby is being asked if he wants to stay in Pittsburgh after this season.

Mikael Granlund and Jan Rutta return to Pittsburgh for the first time since they were traded in the Erik Karlsson deal. Granlund's struggles with the Penguins were well documented, but since joining the Sharks, he's found his game. 

Granlund has 40 points in 51 games, which leads the team. 

Jan Rutta isn't known for his offense, but the big defenseman has been a steadying presence on the backend. Often paired with Henry Thrun this season, Rutta has been a perfect model of hard work and simple play that translates to success in the NHL. 

Magnus Chrona will start in goal for the Sharks tonight, and Devin Cooley will backup as Mackenzie Blackwood remains on IR. This will mark Chrona's fourth straight start for the Sharks.

Chrona made his NHL debut against the Penguins during San Jose's 10-2 loss. He will want to show them he has improved since then.

Sharks projected line combinations:

Barabanov-Granlund-Zetterlund
Zadina-Eklund-Kunin
Bordeleau-Sturm-Kostin
Smith-Carpenter-Bailey

Ferraro-Burroughs
Thrun-Vlasic
MacDonald-Addison

Chrona
Cooley

Puck drop is at 4 p.m. and can be seen on NBC Sports California or the Sharks Audio Network. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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