PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Last year Ville Koivunen played only eight games with the Pens and now, because of an injury to Bryan Rust, the winger could start the season on Sidney Crosby’s line.
Rust suffered an injury at practice and will miss at least two weeks with the season starting Tuesday at the Rangers. Head coach Dan Muse said it’s an opportunity for somebody else, but wasn’t going to commit yet as to who that might be.
During practice on Thursday in Cranberry Township, Koivunen worked with Rickard Rakell as wingers with Crosby. The wingers on Evgeni Malkin’s line were Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau with Avery Hayes working into the group.
“I think the last couple of exhibition games have been his best in training camp,” Pens head coach Dan Muse said of Koivunen. “The best I’ve seen. When he’s going, he has the ability to make plays in tight areas, really good instincts offensively. In the last couple of games, he’s really been working away from the puck too, which I think adds to his overall game.”
Muse was quick to say while it was like that during Thursday’s practice, they will take it a day at a time to see how this plays out.
Koivunen, 22, scored 21 goals with 35 assists in 63 games in the AHL last year to go with his seven assists in eight NHL games. He was part of the return from the Carolina Hurricanes in the Jake Guentzel trade.
The 33-year-old Rust was coming off a career-high goals with 31 and tied his career-high with 34 assists in 71 games last season.