Bortuzzo was forced to leave Friday’s blowout loss to the Avalanche after a hit from Valeri Nichushkin. Moving Bortuzzo to IR means he will miss at least seven days and Carl Gunnarsson will likely draw into the lineup on Monday.
Crouse was originally listed as a game-time decision but shortly after cleared protocol and will play tonight vs. the Sharks. Crouse, who had 15 goals and 10 assists (25 points) in 66 games last season is expected to skate with Derick Brassard and Clayton Keller.
Crouse was unable to participate on Wednesday due to COVID-19 protocols and the Coyotes are not certain whether Crouse will be available for their season opener. If Crouse can't play, John Hayden will replace him in the bottom-6.
Connauton figures to go to the Panthers' taxi squad or the AHL after signing a two-way deal on Wednesday. Connauton had no points in just four games with the Avalanche last season, spending most of the year in the AHL. He had 27 points (5G / 22A) in 38 games with the Eagles.
Marino was originally drafted in the sixth-round by the Oilers but was traded to Pittsburgh for a sixth-round pick back in the summer of 2019. What a trade that has turned out to be for the Penguins. Marino had a terrific rookie season, compiling six goals with 20 assists (26 points) in 56 games. He averaged over 20 minutes per game in 2020 and should continue to eat huge minutes in the Penguins' top-4 in 2021.
Maatta has two-years left at $4.083 million but Chicago retained 18.37 percent of the deal, so he'll only cost the Kings $3.33M AAV. That makes him the Kings' second-highest paid defenseman for 2021. Maatta had four goals and 13 assists (17 points) in 65 games in 2020.
Bjugstad missed 46 games after undergoing core muscle surgery in 2020 and then was hurt again three games after returning to the lineup and then the season was paused. Bjugstad has missed a total of 92 games (39.5%) over the last three seasons but will look for a fresh start in his hometown. Bjusgstad was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and went to the University of Minnesota, so this should be a welcomed move for the 28-year-old centre. Both Mikko Koivu and Alex Galchenyuk are UFAs at season's end, so there could be a very clear path to a bottom-6 role for Bjugstad.
