Penguins Injury Update: Bjugstad Not Skating, Kahun on the Ice

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has avoided giving a detailed update on Penguins center Nick Bjugstad, who has been rehabbing from core muscle surgery nearly two and a half months ago. Thursday before the Penguins game in Tampa Bay, Sullivan may have delivered bad news.

Sullivan simply reported Bjugstad and defenseman Brian Dumoulin continued their rehab off the ice. Penguins winger Dominik Kahun who suffered a concussion on Jan. 19 against the Boston Bruins skated on Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Bjugstad last played on Nov. 15.

Nick Bjugstad was skating for a few weeks in January and was expected back with the team soon after the nine-day All-Star break and the bye week. However, Bjugstad has not been skating, though Sullivan hasn’t yet connected the dots to a setback in Bjugstad’s recovery.

He has played in just 10 games this season and has a solitary assist.

Bjugstad and Jared McCann were acquired from the Florida Panthers on Feb. 1, 2019. In Bjugstad’s absence, McCann has mostly been the defacto third-line center. More recently, McCann has again played on Sidney Crosby’s left-wing while Sullivan has deployed Teddy Blueger as the third line center.