Bryan Rust is being evaluated for an upper-body injury and won't practice Sunday, three days before the Penguins open their season in Philadelphia.
Forward Tristan Broz is also being evaluated, for a lower-body injury, and he won't practice either.
Rust left Saturday's game in Buffalo early and didn't return. He logged just 8:04 before exiting.
He still picked up an assist in that short stretch as the Penguins won 3-1.
Broz played 10:07 in the same game without registering a shot.
The stakes are obvious. Rust put up 65 points in 72 games last season.
So does he make it to Philadelphia?
-
Penguins' opening-night plans rocked by alarming injury update
The team hasn't said how long either player might be out, or whether either will travel.
Rust has 502 points in 710 NHL games, every one of them with Pittsburgh.
He has also scored at least 20 goals in seven straight seasons, including a career-high 31 in 2024-25.
The Penguins drafted him 80th overall in 2010, and he has 22 goals in 85 career playoff games.
He carries a $5,125,000 cap hit through 2027-28.
The Penguins should be cautious here. Rushing a 34-year-old back for one October game in Philadelphia would be a bad trade-off for a season that runs into April.
An upper-body injury three days before opening night is like a flat tire in the driveway before a road trip. You'll probably still go, just later than planned.
Saturday's win did have some bright spots. Sidney Crosby scored, Ville Koivunen had the winner and Nicholas Robertson added a shorthanded goal.
Crosby finished plus-2 in 16:03 of ice time.
Arturs Silovs made 23 saves on 24 shots in goal.
The Penguins finished the preseason 2-2-0. After Wednesday in Philadelphia, they host Montreal on October 3.
The Flyers limped to a 1-3-0 preseason after a 5-1 loss to Washington, so the opener is no gimme either way.
Right now, "being evaluated" is all Pittsburgh has. By Wednesday, Dan Muse will need a lot more than that.
Should the Penguins hold Bryan Rust out of the opener in Philadelphia?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies speak out after tragedy shakes the hockey world
