Ice Chips: McGroarty among five Penguins done for season
Published
Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins ruled out five players for the remainder of the season on Thursday, including top prospect Rutger McGroarty.
Acquired in a significant trade with the Winnipeg Jets last summer, McGroarty ends his first season with one goal and two assists in eight games with the Penguins. He had 14 goals and 39 points in 60 AHL games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Also ruled out for the team's final three games were Noel Acciari, Blake Lizotte, Matt Nieto and Tommy Novak.
The announcement came after Penguins recalled forwards Emil Bemstrom, Vasily Ponomarev, and Valtteri Puustinen from the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Thursday on an emergency basis.
Bemstrom, 25, appeared in 13 games in Pittsburgh earlier this season, recording an assist.
He also has 21 goals and 46 points in 45 games in the AHL this year.
Ponomarev appeared in four games with Pittsburgh earlier this season and has 15 goals and 40 points in 54 AHL games.
Puustinen has a goal and two points in 10 games with Pittsburgh this season and also has 16 goals and 35 points in 47 games in the AHL.
Ottawa Senators
Forward Nick Cousins participated in the Ottawa Senators' practice on Thursday for the first time in a regular practice sweater, according to TSN's Claire Hanna.
Cousins, 31, hasn't played since Jan. 21 after sustaining a knee injury that had a 6-to-8 week timeframe for recovery.
The 5-foot-11 centre had five goals and 13 points in 47 games prior to the injury and is on a one-year, $800,000 deal with the Senators.
Additionally, Hanna reports that captain Brady Tkachuk was absent from Senators' practice.
The 6-foot-4 winger has missed the team's last five games with an upper-body injury. He said after the session he expects to skate on Friday, but did not give a timeline on when he will return to game action as the regular season winds down.
He has 29 goals and 55 points in 71 games this season.
The Senators used these lines during practice on Thursday:
Boston Bruins
Defenceman Charlie McAvoy and forward Mark Kastelic will not be ready to return to action before the Bruins' regular season ends on Tuesday, according to interim head coach Joe Sacco.
McAvoy, 27, hasn't played since representing the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February due to a shoulder injury.
The 6-foot-1 right-shot defenceman has seven goals and 23 points in 50 games while averaging 23:40 of ice time.
Kastelic, 26, missed the last nine games with an upper-body injury.
The 6-foot-4 centre was acquired from the Ottawa Senators, along with goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and a draft pick, in the off-season in exchange for netminder Linus Ullmark.
He has five goals and 14 points in 61 games this season.
The Bruins recalled forwards Patrick Brown and Riley Duran from the AHL's Providence Bruins on Thursday.
Duran, 23, was drafted 182nd overall by the Bruins in 2020 and has 12 goals and 16 points in 58 games in the AHL this season.
Brown, 32, appeared in 15 games with Boston earlier this season, recording an assist.
He also has 16 goals and 44 points in 52 games in the AHL this season.
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche recalled forward Chris Wagner from the AHL's Colorado Eagles on Thursday.
Wagner, 33, appeared in 25 games with the Avalanche this season, recording a goal.
The 6-foot winger has 19 goals and 31 points in 42 games with Eagles this season.
Dallas Stars
Forward Tyler Seguin was a full participant during the Stars' morning skate on Thursday, according to broadcaster Bruce LeVine.
Seguin, 33, hasn't played since Dec. 1 after undergoing hip surgery but head coach Pete DeBoer says "he's knocking at the door" on returning to the lineup.
The 6-foot-2 centre had nine goals and 20 points in 19 games before the injury.
Jake Oettinger is expected to be in net on Thursday when the Stars take on the Winnipeg Jets in a Central Division showdown, according to LeVine.
Oettinger has won six of his last seven games and has a 36-15-4 record with a 2.45 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.
Florida Panthers
Sergei Bobrovsky is will be in net Thursday when the Panthers take on the Detroit Red Wings, according to head coach Paul Maurice.
Bobrovsky, 36, has a 32-18-2 record this season and is fifth in the league with a 2.42 goals-against average to go along with a .907 save percentage.