Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…
The Pittsburgh Penguins played the Columbus Blue Jackets in preseason game three of four on Thursday night. Pittsburgh iced what ultimately represented a B-squad and took home a 4-0 loss to the Blue Jackets. The final preseason game is set for Saturday. [Recap]
Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko is taking a leave of absence after his father, Alexander, died following a bear attack during a fishing trip in southern Siberia, according to Russian media reports. [PensBurgh]
Penguins defenseman Caleb Jones
is back on the ice after missing nearly all of last season because of injuries and a 20-game suspension. Jones, who played seven games last season, is competing for a roster spot as he works to regain his form and return to the lineup. [Trib Live]
Pittsburgh assigned 10 players to their AHL affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, on Thursday. [Trib Live]
Forward Ben Kindel has been downgraded from day-to-day to week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered in Monday’s preseason game. [PensBurgh]
News and notes from around the NHL…
The NHL and Winnipeg Jets announced Thursday that the franchise’s official statistical history will now combine both eras of the team, including its original Winnipeg run from 1979-96, the Atlanta Thrashers era and the current Jets. The change makes Dale Hawerchuk the franchise’s career leader in goals and points, while Thomas Steen leads in assists. [Sportsnet]
The Columbus Blue Jackets signed center Adam Fantilli to a six-year, $82.5 million contract on Thursday, ending a holdout that kept the restricted free agent out of training camp. Fantilli, the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, had a career-high 59 points last season. [NHL]
