Zucker Rejoins Practice After Rollercoaster Few Days

After a rollercoaster few days for Jason Zucker after leaving his first game back following surgery to repair a core muscle injury, he was able to rejoin his teammates as a full participant in Penguins practice on Wednesday.

"Zuck seems to have a high pain tolerance, and I think we're all lucky maybe it wasn't as serious as everybody first thought," forward Jeff Carter said. "It was great to have him back. He brings a lot to our lineup. Whenever he can get back in there, it'll be a big boost to us."
Zucker was a full participant in the session, and skated on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell. He then traveled with the team to New York for their matchup with the Rangers on Thursday at Madison Square Garden, and head coach Mike Sullivan said that the winger's status is currently listed as day-to-day.
"He didn't miss too much time, which is encouraging," Sullivan said of Zucker, who missed the home-and-home series with Colorado after getting hurt on Thursday in Minnesota. "I thought he did really well in practice. We'll see how it goes, but we're certainly encouraged with what we saw out there today."
It's been SUCH a road back to health for Zucker, who first started dealing with the injury around the holidays, but gutted it out and played through it so that the depleted Penguins - who were dealing with COVID - had enough bodies in the lineup.
He tried to manage it as best he could, but ultimately Zucker and the Penguins medical staff decided that surgery would be his best option. After undergoing the procedure on Jan. 25, he made his return to the lineup following a lengthy rehab process that sidelined him for 30 straight games.
And as if being back in itself wasn't enough, Zucker was also playing in Minnesota, the place he had called home for the first six-plus years of his professional career, for the first time since they traded him to Pittsburgh in February of 2020.
Zucker really couldn't have asked for a better start after such a long layoff, collecting an assist on his first shift. But in the second period, Zucker was checked from behind by his former teammate Kevin Fiala and fell awkwardly into the boards.
"It was just kind of a weird deal," said Zucker, who had no comment on the hit itself. "When you're out that long, you're hoping you can get into the rhythm of the game, and you're worried more about the game. Just getting back into it mentally, physically… your hands, your feet… everything. It was unfortunate that it happened that way, especially after being out for so long."
It was incredibly tough for everyone to see Zucker laying on the ice like that, and he said from his perspective, what made it so difficult is how that scenario wasn't something he could have prepared for in his rehab process.
"That was one of the very few things that I think probably could have reinjured it," he said. "I think that was the toughest part of it."
In the handful of days that have elapsed since, Zucker said there have certainly been ups and downs as he continued to be evaluated by the medical staff.
"Every day you either feel good or feel bad, you kind of check in," he said. "You're doing all these different checks, talking to the doctors. Our medical staff is trying to figure out what's the best route to go when you get on the ice, how much rehab should you do, all that fun stuff."
After briefly taking the ice in a track suit following Penguins practice on Monday, Zucker skated in full gear with skills and skating development coach Ty Hennes before the team's morning skate on Tuesday. Being back with the guys on Wednesday was just another positive step in the right direction towards finally being healthy again. That's a feeling he's going to focus on and savor as best he can considering how much Zucker has been through from an injury standpoint.
"I'm just excited to be back in the lineup and playing, whenever that is, towards the end of this season," he said. "Just being back and playing is going to be enough for me, so I'm excited for that. I don't want to put any excess pressure there. It's just about playing well, playing my game, and trying to help if I can."
In other good news on the injury front, Brock McGinn joined team practice for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury on March 11 vs. Vegas. The forward, who has missed the past 12 games, wore a no-contact jersey.
"When you're looking at two guys like Zuck and Ginner, these are glue guys," Sullivan said. "They make us hard to play against. So when they jump back on the ice, it's an indication to all of our guys that they're that much closer to returning to the lineup, and we know we're a better team when they're in our lineup. So, it only helps our mindset, gives us a boost of energy. And for me, that's a positive thing that we can build on."