The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a couple of curious moves today, clearing several roster spots at the same time. Mark Friedman has been assigned to the minor leagues, while Ryan Poehling and Tristan Jarry have been placed on injured reserve. Each of their stints are retroactive to their most recent appearance – Dec. 30 for Poehling and January 2 for Jarry.
The move drops Pittsburgh to 20 players on the roster, with three empty spots. That could signal the potential return of Kris Letang, Jeff Petry, or Josh Archibald, the latter two who skated yesterday during the optional.
Friedman has only played three times for the Penguins this year, last suiting up more than a week ago against the Boston Bruins. The veteran minor league defenseman is nothing but depth at this point and will likely bounce back and forth between the AHL and NHL for the rest of the year.
Because they have been placed retroactively, both Poehling and Jarry can be activated whenever healthy. Both have been listed as day-to-day by head coach Mike Sullivan, though there is no clear date for either’s return.
The Penguins, fresh off a win over the Vancouver Canucks last night, are facing the dreaded back-to-back-with-travel that teams struggle with this weekend. They host the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, before traveling to face the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday night. Some injury reinforcements by then would be very welcome, as they try to climb back into the Metropolitan Division race.
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