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Early Pressure On Galchenyuk, McCann After Penguins Injuries (PHN+)

Published

5 years ago

October 8, 2019

PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 05: Pittsburgh Penguins Left Wing Jared McCann (19) skates with the puck during the second period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 5, 2019, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

Whether Pittsburgh Penguins star center Evgeni Malkin is out for a few weeks or more than four, the Penguins will likely play the rest of October without one of their core players. Malkin will not be the only center out of the Penguins lineup, either. Third line center Nick Bjugstad will also be out long term. And the pressure will be squarely on newly acquired Alex Galchenyuk.

Life isn’t always fair.

Galchencyuk was selected by the Montreal Canadiens as the third overall pick in 2012. The honor was more like a burden as Galchenyuk never lived up to the hype in Montreal, which dealt him to Arizona last summer for struggling Max Domi. Galchenyuk’s list of skills reads like a star player, but it’s not yet happened for the 25-year-old. Now, the Penguins need him as one of the few skill players left in the lineup.

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