Jarry has tested positive for COVID-19 but is reportedly asymptomatic. Being placed in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol puts Jarry's status for Saturday's game in doubt. If Jarry can't play, look for Casey DeSmith to get the nod vs. Toronto.
Carter has tested positive for COVID-19 but is reportedly asymptomatic. Being placed in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol puts Carter's status for Saturday's game in doubt. This would leave the Penguins without all three of their top centres.
Crosby has missed the first four games of the season and will miss Saturday's game vs. Toronto. The next opportunity for him to play would be Tuesday vs. the Lightning.
Rust was hurt in the second game of the season and is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks. This is another huge blow for the Penguins, who are already without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin upfront. Luckily for the Penguins, they only have seven games over the next three weeks, so Rust may not miss too many games.
Crosby has been skating with the team lately but will remain sidelined for Tuesday's game vs. the Stars. This is probably a logical decision, considering after Tuesday they are off until Saturday. Monitor his status as the week progresses.
Rust was banged up in the Penguins loss in Florida on Thursday and will not play tonight vs. Chicago. The Penguins did not provide a timetable on Rust's return but he will be replaced by Drew O'Connor tonight.
Jarry went 25-9-3 with a 2.75 GAA and .909 SV% in 38 starts in 2021. Jarry finished the season on a 13-1-1 stretch, while posting a .910 SV%. However, he struggled vs. the Islanders in the postseason, so it will be important for the Penguins that the good Jarry shows up to open the season. He draws a terrible matchup in Tampa Bay without Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel in front of him.
Crosby was back on the ice on Monday and will travel to Florida on the Penguins' season-opening road trip but is not expected to play. The Penguins were pretty tight-lipped about Crosby's timeline, so the fact that he will travel and skate with the team is a good sign that he will not be sidelined for too long. Crosby has not yet been ruled out for the Penguins' home opener vs. the Blackhawks on Saturday.
Acciari was hurt in a scrum during Tuesday's preseason game. He was talked to the ice by Pat Maroon and appeared to hurt his left arm in some capacity. Surgery is not required but head coach Joel Quenneville said he has a long rehab ahead of him. This under opens the door for someone like Anton Lundell to start the season in the NHL.
Malkin underwent surgery on his right knee and will miss at least the first two months of the 2021-22 season. Malkin will likely end up missing roughly 20-to-25 games. His draft stock will take a hit but he's still worth a mid-to-late round pick for his point-per-game production from December on.
We are three weeks away from the start of the 2021-22 season, so Hayes will miss at least the first three weeks of the new season. With Hayes out, Claude Giroux may have to shift back to the middle of the ice for a few weeks or Scott Laughton/Derick Brassard will play larger roles than originally expected.
