The Pittsburgh Penguins’ injury-plagued season continues, as winger Chris Kunitz is out with a lower-body injury.
Coach Mike Sullivan told the media that “there currently isn’t a timetable” for his return (via the Penguins’ Twitter). Kunitz took a regular shift on Friday night in New York, but didn’t play during the overtime period or shoot in the shootout, per Josh Cooper of PuckDaddy. It’s not yet clear what caused the injury.
The 37-year-old winger has 29 points this season, after back-to-back 40-point campaigns. He has just three assists in his last 21 games. Nevertheless, it’s another body-blow to the Penguins’ depth.
Even with Jake Guentzel and Ron Hainsey returning in the last week, the team is still missing forwards Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin with upper and lower-body injuries respectively, while defensemen Trevor Daley, Kris Letang, and Olli Maatta are also out, and have missed substantial time this season. Malkin is expected to return soon, and Sullivan believes Letang will be ready for the playoffs.