Penguins Practice: Kuzmenko Maybe, More Changes; Muse Explains Decisions

Andrei Kuzmenko was a full participant at Pittsburgh Penguins practice on Monday, indicating a potential return from non-roster status. Coach Dan Muse discussed his lineup decisions amid a crowded roster, which saw Ville Koivunen return to regular line rotations while Elmer Soderblom and Hendrix Lapierre rotated out. Kuzmenko also took reps on the second power-play unit alongside his regular line work.

The roster logjam is partially eased after defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk was placed on injured reserve on Monday afternoon. Coach Muse emphasized that players on the fringe must perform to remove themselves from scratch conversations, noting that difficult roster decisions are preferable as the team searches for stable lineup combinations.