The 2018-19 Penguins are set for their first faceoff ... almost.
The team announced its final 23-man roster late Tuesday afternoon by designating Tristan Jarry as an Injured Non-Roster player. He sustained a lower-body injury this past Friday in Columbus and didn't participate in either of the two practices that followed.
This is the roster ...
Forwards (13): Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist, Derick Brassard, Jake Guentzel, Carl Hagelin, Bryan Rust, Matt Cullen, Riley Sheahan, Dominik Simon, Derek Grant, Daniel Sprong
Defensemen: (8): Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, Justin Schultz, Olli Maatta, Jack Johnson, Jamie Oleksiak, Juuso Riikola, Chad Ruhwedel
Goaltenders (2): Matt Murray, Casey DeSmith
The only questions lingering between now and the 7:08 p.m. faceoff Thursday against the Capitals at PPG Paints Arena:
1. Will Dumoulin be ready?
2. Who will fill out the fourth line?
The first will play itself out, obviously.
Dumoulin resumed skating on his own Monday morning before the team's full practice at the Lemieux Sports Complex, but the team was off Tuesday and one practice plus one morning skate remain before the opener. Doubt about his return is likely behind the coaching staff's insertion of Riikola alongside Letang on the top pairing for the past two practices. Riikola had an excellent camp, but he'd generally get rotated in and out of a third pairing in practice unless there was some certainty about Dumoulin's status for the next game.
The second question might play itself out, as well.
Sprong hurt his left knee in a collision in Columbus, but he was a partial participant in the Monday practice and told me afterward he felt he was able to sufficiently push off for his best stride. If the coaches and athletic trainers don't see it that way -- or if the coaches simply prefer Grant at this stage after an unsettled camp for Sprong -- then Grant will play to the right of Cullen and Sheahan.
Based on the two practices since Columbus, this is how lines and pairings should look presuming Dumoulin can't go:
Guentzel-Crosby-Hornqvist
Hagelin-Malkin-Kessel
Simon-Brassard-Rust
Cullen-Sheahan-Sprong/Grant
Riikola-Letang
Maatta-Johnson
Oleksiak-Schultz
Ruhwedel
The Penguins' next practice is 11 a.m. Wednesday at PPG Paints Arena.