Penguins coach Mike Sullivan provides massive injury update on star players

So much for a smooth preseason for the Pittsburgh Penguins. After a set date against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, travel problems pushed the game to Monday. For the record, the Penguins finally made it to Detroit without further ado and back to Pittsburgh with a 5-1 victory over the Red Wings.

Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic was supposed to play the whole game but had his night cut short with an injury while making a save with about three minutes remaining in the first period. With Nedeljkovic out, it was time for Joel Blomqvist to take over between the pipes. The young netminder put on an impressive performance, stopping 22 of 23 shots against a loaded Detroit lineup with star power such as Dylan Larkin, Patrick Kane, and Lucas Raymond.

During the training camp, head coach Mike Sullivan was over the moon with a strong goalie depth created by Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas since he came in back in 2023. The injury to Nedeljkovic may have been a blow to the team, but to have a promising talent like Blomqvist ripe for the challenge was a great testament to this depth. The 2020 second-round pick Blomqvist has looked great since coming over to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, even earning an AHL All-Star nod in his first season in North America.

In terms of Erik Karlsson's upper body injury, it remains very mysterious, as the exact specifics have been kept internal. A glimmer of optimism: Mike Sullivan said Karlsson made some progress today and returned to the ice. Getting Karlsson back to full fitness is huge for the Penguins, who, despite what some might think was an underperformance last season, are infinitely better on both sides of the ice with him as he remains a keystone contributor, as he was second on the team in impact, according to Dom Luszczyszyn

The Penguins will be pleased that Erik Karlsson should continue his positive recovery and rejoin his teammates for practice in due time. If he is back by opening night, this will be a huge boost to the lineup with depth and experience where it matters most. Joel Blomqvist brought up a good show in net, and Karlsson's possible return makes the Penguins look every bit like a team ready to take on the forthcoming season with a full complement of talent.