WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Pittsburgh Penguins did not have to shed a player via the waiver wire Wednesday. They traded Filip Hallander to the Edmonton Oilers, and the NHL provided some relief, as well.
Rather than the nearly impossible choice of which forward to sacrifice to make room for Bryan Rust , the Penguins found some humanity from the NHL, which granted forward Andrei Kuzmenko non-roster status. That move was made before the trade, but the decision would have loomed regardless.
The status is not officially a bereavement non-roster status, but that was the obvious implication.
"With Kuzmenko, he's with us on the trip. The league has granted him non-roster status. I think with him it's extremely commendable everything that he did, going back home to be with his family, and then coming back and wanting to be with the group right away," Penguins coach Dan Muse said. "I've said it before, (we're) just heartbroken for him, and it's just a tragic situation. Right now, I think for him, it's getting back up to speed. So, he's with us on this trip. He's not going to be playing on the trip, but he's going to be skating and just getting some work in.
"For us right now, it's just helping him. The No. 1 thing is being there for him as a human being, which is always the priority, and it absolutely is right now."
Kuzmenko returned from Russia this week after returning home to deal with the death of his father, who was killed in a bear attack while on a fishing trip with friends in southern Siberia. Mr. Kuzmenko was 62.
In fact, Kuzmenko adopted the number 62 for the remainder of the season to celebrate his father's age, the year his mother was born (1962), and the year 2026.
Muse did not put a time limit on the status. Kuzmenko was pointless in his first two games this season.
The Penguins acquired left-handed defenseman Spencer Stastney , 26, for Hallander Wednesday. Stastney's contract carries an average annual value of $1.525 million.
Last season, Stastney established career highs in games played (66), goals (2), assists (8), points (10), and blocked shots (63) while splitting the campaign between Nashville and Edmonton. He was also part of Nashville's fifth-ranked penalty-killing unit, averaging 1:27 of shorthanded time-on-ice per game.
This was Hallander's third stint with the Penguins, and he was beginning to reach his potential. After a strong training camp, he told PHN he was trying to find his "evil eye" to be more consistently physical and a part of the Penguins lineup.
He scored his first goal of the season in the first game against Philadelphia. He missed most of last season after blood clot issues sidelined him after just 13 games.
Rust surely seems a good bet to play Wednesday, though he will be a game-time decision. Muse would not confirm, but conceded he's looked good in practice.
"Rusty is obviously skating with us. He's been looking good," Muse said. "That will be a game-time decision."
If Rust plays, he is likely to slot in with Ben Kindel and Ville Koivunen on a line.
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