(UPDATED) Penguins Guentzel & Blueger Status, Recall Poulin & Caggiula

EDMONTON  — Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel missed the Penguins’ 6-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night. The team played with only 11 forwards but fixed that problem on Sunday afternoon.

Guentzel did not join the Penguins’ practice Sunday afternoon at the Rogers Place practice rink.

UPDATE: Guentzel joined the team after practice in a non-contact sweater. Head coach Mike Sullivan said Guentzel could play on the road trip, but that was the only status update.

Guentzel both absorbed a high, late hit by LA Kings forward Brendan Lemieux on Thursday and was hit by defenseman Kris Letang’s shot in the third period. Head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed Guentzel was hit on or near the ear.

The Penguins dressed seventh defenseman Chad Ruhwedel on Saturday.

Last season, Guentzel had 40 goals and 84 points in 76 games. He was also off to a productive start in the 2022-23 NHL season. Guentzel has five points, including three goals in the first four games.

Teddy Blueger, Penguins Recall Poulin and Caggiula

The Penguins’ “other” injury, Teddy Blueger, joined the team but was not at center. He cycled into drills as a left-wing, though the reasoning quickly became evident.

Just after practice began, the Penguins announced they recalled Sam Poulin and Drake Caggiula from the WBS Penguins and placed Blueger on LTIR retroactive to Oct. 11. Blueger must miss 10 games and 24 days from that point. He will miss at least the next five games.

UPDATE: Poulin and Caggiula are en route to Edmonton and will join the team for the game Monday. The earliest Blueger can return is Nov. 5 against the Montreal Canadiens.

Blueger, 28, is one of the Penguins’ primary penalty killers and the fourth-line center. However, he has not yet played a game this season. He’ll also be an unrestricted free agent next summer. It’s been over a week since Blueger resumed skating after an upper-body injury.

Poulin, 21, is waivers exempt. The 2019 first-round pick (21st overall) showed well in the Penguins training camp. So, too, did Caggiula, but he is not waivers exempt.

Blueger’s status change opened nearly $2 million of LTIR cap overage space, which allowed the team to recall two players.

Penguins Lines:

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ lines rolled much as they did against Columbus on Saturday. Chad Ruhwedel rotated into the pairings. However, Blueger took a few shifts on the left wing beside Ryan Poehling.

Heinen-Crosby-Rakell

Zucker-Malkin-Rust

McGinn-Carter-Kapanen

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Defense

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Pettersson-Petry

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Ruhwedel