Zucker Returns to Pittsburgh for Further Evaluation

Head coach Mike Sullivan said the team sent winger Jason Zucker back to Pittsburgh this morning to be evaluated further after suffering a lower-body injury on Tuesday night against Washington.

Zucker was hurt in the third period of Pittsburgh's 3-2 overtime win when his skate clipped the skate of Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen and sent him awkwardly into the boards in front of the Penguins bench. Zucker eventually had to be helped off the ice.
"He's a tough kid," Sullivan said of Zucker. "He's an upbeat person. Obviously he was frustrated with the injury, and it was just kind of an unfortunate circumstance how he went into the boards. So hopefully we'll get good news with respect to his injury.
"But Zuck is a real resilient guy. He's a good pro, he understands the game. And regardless of what kind of news we get, we know he's going to work his tail off to get back as soon as he can."

As Sullivan aptly put it, Zucker has been completely invested in the Penguins ever since they acquired him from Minnesota, where he had spent his entire career up to that point since they drafted him in 2010, last February.
On the ice, Zucker has the attributes that allow him to thrive in the top-six, where he has played alongside Evgeni Malkin for the majority of the year. He's got speed, hockey sense and goal-scoring ability to go along with courage, competitiveness and a willingness to play in the battle areas.
Off the ice, Zucker is mature beyond his years, possessing a level-headed awareness and perspective on not just life as a professional hockey player, but life in general, that's pretty remarkable.
The husband and father won the 2019 King Clancy Memorial Trophy - which is awarded to "the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community" - and was also a finalist for the award in 2018.
"Anytime you lose a guy it sucks, but losing a guy like Zucks is a pretty big blow," winger Zach Aston-Reese said. "He's a guy that just kind of leads by example. It's crazy - he's 28, but honestly, his presence just feels like such an older presence and gives a lot of guys confidence, so he will be missed greatly. Does a lot for the team."
Aston-Reese moved up into Zucker's spot with Malkin and Bryan Rust to finish last night's game, and practiced there again today. Sullivan said the Penguins will look at all of their options for Thursday's rematch with Washington, but Aston-Reese would love the opportunity to stay there.
"I've played with G before and playing with Rusty, it's just a matter of finding good scoring areas and quiet areas on the ice and getting open for those guys," Aston-Reese said. "Playing with Rusty creates a lot of speed and you can play that grind game and hold onto pucks down low. Playing with Malkin is always a little bit different. He's just such a skilled player and makes a lot of things happen. So maybe instead of dumping the puck in, you just try to make a play."

It's unfortunate that just as the Penguins were starting to get healthy, particularly on the back end, they may now be without Zucker for a length of time. But it's a situation that's all too familiar for the Penguins.
"I just think it's one of the challenges of the game," Sullivan said. "We have a fair amount of experience with it. We went through a lot last year with respect to the injuries, and we're going through it again this year. We're going to do our best to try to create the balance that we need and put the best lineup on the ice that gives us the best chance to win."
Sullivan believes the Penguins have what it takes to win regardless of who is in their lineup, a sentiment that forward Teddy Blueger echoed.
"Zuck's an important player for our team, but I for sure have faith in our team being able to fill the void," Teddy Blueger said. "Just a good opportunity for other guys to step up and fill in."
Here are the rest of the injury updates that Sullivan provided…
* Forward Jared McCann, who has missed the last five games with a lower-body injury, practiced in a non-contact fashion. "The fact that he's joining the team, and joining practice in that capacity, I think is just one step closer for him," Sullivan said.
* Forward Evan Rodrigues, who has missed the last 11 games with a lower-body injury, and defenseman Brian Dumoulin, who has missed the last 10 games with a lower-body injury, skated with skills coach Ty Hennes in Pittsburgh.
* Defenseman Juuso Riikola, who has missed the last 13 games with an upper-body injury, skated in a full capacity with the team.