Pens Points: Another Day Off

Wrapping up their final multi-day break of the season, the Pittsburgh Penguins will enjoy another off day on Wednesday before returning to game action tomorrow night against the Philadelphia Flyers. Starting on Thursday, the Penguins will play 14 games in 24 days to conclude their regular season schedule, a stretch which includes three back-to-back sets.

It’s Wednesday and your Pens Points have arrived...

It took until the trade deadline, but Ron Hextall completed his first trade as general manager of the Penguins on Monday. Bringing in Jeff Carter, allowed Hextall to improve the team without much disruption to the current roster. [Pensburgh]

With COVID-19 vaccine eligibility beginning to open up to a wider population in Pennsylvania, the Penguins players and coaches may now get the shot. During a clinic on Monday, a majority of the players and coaches did just that. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Instead of hitting the ice today, the Penguins opted for off-ice workouts in lieu of a traditional practice. The biggest news coming out of the sessions was media availability for head coach Mike Sullivan and the newest Penguin, Jeff Carter. [Pensburgh]

Carter is a natural center and that’s where he will start his Penguins career once the team returns to game action. This signals that once everyone is healthy, it’s likely Jared McCann will play on a wing unless Sullivan decides otherwise. [Trib Live]

It’s somewhat difficult to imagine Jeff Carter in a Penguins uniform after his years with the Flyers, but that will change tomorrow night. For Carter, the past is the past and he’s ready to take another run at the Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh. [Penguins]

Other news coming out on Wednesday was another injury update with some good and bad news included. Kasperi Kapanen has resumed skating, a big step in his rehab process, but Frederick Gaudreau will be out week-to-week with a lower body injury. [Trib Live]

There a numerous stories from traded players about the awkwardness of moving to a new team, especially in season. That will be the case for the newly acquired Jeff Carter, but his new teammates certainly seem excited to have him. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

News and notes from around the NHL...

One of the top tier NHL Draft showcases has been axed for a second straight season. On Tuesday, the CHL announced the Memorial Cup playoffs will not take place this season after being scheduled to take place in June. [NHL]

One under the radar part of this season’s NHL trades is players on the move adjusting to more than just new faces around them. If players are getting dealt out of their division, they will be greeted with an entire new slate of opponents as well. [Associated Press]