Unfortunately, the injury woes have continued for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On Thursday, the Penguins were forced to recall yet another player from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) - their AHL affiliate - because of an injury to yet another player. Forward Joona Koppanen was the one who got the call, and the team also announced that forward Filip Hallander is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Koppanen, 27, played in 11 NHL games for the Penguins last season and registered a goal. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound forward re-signed with the Penguins for one year this past offseason, and he was waived at the conclusion of training camp and re-assigned to WBS after going unclaimed.
He has a goal and two points in six AHL games for WBS this season, and Penguins' head coach Dan Muse confirmed that Koppanen will be in the lineup Thursday against the Washington Capitals.
Hallander, 25, made the NHL team out of training camp and has a goal and four points in 13 games on the season so far. His injury adds to a rapidly growing list of ailments for the Penguins, as they just placed forwards Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari - as well as goaltender Tristan Jarry - on injured reserve Tuesday.
Forward Rickard Rakell and defenseman Caleb Jones were already on injured reserve for the Penguins, and they joined a list that already included forwards Rutger McGroarty and Kevin Hayes, goaltender Joel Blomqvist, and defenseman Jack St. Ivany, among others.
Hayes, 33, skated with the team in a full capacity on Wednesday and appears close to a return.
Penguins' Forward Appears Close To Return
More than likely, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> won't have to wait much longer for one of their forwards to return to the lineup.
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