Pens’ defenseman to finally get out of the doghouse!

It was quite comforting for the Pittsburgh Penguins fan base to see their favourite club come out on top of the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, especially since they have lost the services of star defenseman Justin Schultz. He will miss the next four months while he recovers from surgery after he suffered a lower-leg fracture during the contest. 

Schultz, who had four assists through the four games he was able to participate in this season, will be missed and Pens general manager Jim Rutherford doesn’t plan on filling the hole externally during his absence for the next four months. 

That might be a good news for one of the Pens’ blue liners, who could take this opportunity to get out of his head coach’s doghouse! NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman explained in a recent appearance on Calgary’s Sportsnet 96 that he believes Olli Maatta could help him impress head coach Mike Sullivan once again, who could be convinced to lend him a second chance. 

“He was a scratch. They weren’t happy with him. I think you were getting close to a situation where maybe he was on the trade block, and obviously, that’s not going to happen right now – they’re going to need him.”

Maatta should definitely jump on the opportunity to become once again a difference maker on the Penguins’ roster. So far the former first rounder has yet to collect a point in the past five games. Schultz has been consistently slotted in as the Penguins’ number-two defenseman behind Kris Letang, and now other players will need to prove they can be trusted in this role. 

Maatta was a healthy scratch for the team’s Oct. 11 game against the Vegas Golden Knights and the Pens cannot deal with this kind of absence. The kid will need to get in line and start to record some points too, and therefore, get out of Sullivan’s doghouse. 

To be honest, there is another defenseman that could use this opportunity to show what he is worth. Jack Johnson needs to be a little more aggressive in the offensive zone. He has been a non-factor since the start of the season and with his  five-year, $16.25 million contract, he is becoming the biggest disappointment. 

His turn in the doghouse?