CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Five weeks, four, three, two, one.
With Justin Schultz resuming skating on Saturday morning, it's not just welcome news, it set off a countdown.
When Schultz does in fact return from his fractured leg at some point, most likely next month, something's going to have to give.
The Penguins would then have nine healthy defensemen: Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, Jack Johnson, Olli Maatta, Marcus Pettersson, Jamie Oleksiak, Juuso Riikola, Chad Ruhwedel and Schultz.
That will leave Mike Sullivan and Jim Rutherford, in particular, with some very tough decisions. It'll be a tough call for the organization, but having too many quality defensemen is one problem they won't mind having.
Look no further than Saturday's practice as an example. One day after appearing in his first game action in two weeks, a 4-0 win over the Jets that extended the Penguins' winning streak to eight, Oleksiak was once again the odd man out and would appear to be so when the Penguins host the Blackhawks at PPG Paints Arena tomorrow night.
"We have a lot of good players," Dumoulin was telling me. "We've had some injuries where guys have had to step in. Also when those guys get healthy again, it's going to create some (competition). I mean, only six can play. Obviously, we just have to continue to work and let it take care of itself."
Easy for Dumoulin to say. Letang, Schultz and Johnson, too. Those guys are safe.
Letang has been playing inspired hockey all season and his pairing with Dumoulin is one of the finest in the NHL. As well as the Penguins have played the past 15 games or so in all areas, including the power play, Schultz has been sorely missed as a right-handed shot. Johnson has proven himself to be a solid, physical, shot-blocking defenseman.
Outside of those four, though, is where it's going to get dicey.
When the Penguins acquired Pettersson from Anaheim for Daniel Sprong, it came with the caveat that, if need be, the defenseman could be sent down to Wilkes-Barre without having to clear waivers. Well, Pettersson's in no jeopardy of visiting Northeast Pennsylvania anytime soon.
He's not only complemented Johnson's game extremely well, he's grown increasingly comfortable in joining the rush and handling pucks as well as he does blocking them. With his assist on Maatta's power-play goal Friday night against the Jets, Pettersson now has points in back-to-back games and in three of the last five after going without a point in his first 11 games with his new team.
As Sullivan was telling me, he has rewarded Pettersson for his solid play at both ends with some time on the second power play unit. That was something that Pettersson didn't do at all with Anaheim this season:
Pettersson played center until he was 16. He says that his experience as a forward might have helped a little but it's more about instincts than anything.
"I'm not changing anything," he was telling me. "I'm not trying to do too much. Just letting it come to me. Not overthink it or overplay it. But I think I have some offensive ability."
OK, so if we pencil in Pettersson in that "safe" group with Letang and Co., that leaves Maatta, Riikola, Oleksiak and Ruhwedel vying for the sixth and final spot.
Ruhwedel, currently on a conditioning assignment in Wilkes-Barre, has been the seventh defenseman all season and hasn't played an NHL game since Nov. 19. Basically, that leaves Maatta, Riikola and Oleksiak competing for one spot in the lineup.
The organization remains very high on Riikola, who is viewed as a potential top-four defenseman. With Oleksiak drawing back in the lineup Friday night, Riikola was once again out after playing the previous six games, scoring his first career goal last week against the Blues in St. Louis.
"If you play all the time, your game is on all the time," said Riikola, who added that he was satisfied with his overall play to date.
"Yeah, I feel like everyone is trying to do their best every game. Then, it's coaches. They decide who plays and we try and do our best."
Since coming to Pittsburgh midway through last season, Oleksiak has established himself as one of the NHL's toughest customers and a solid, defensive defenseman. Before sustaining a concussion in a Dec. 19 fight in Washington, he'd been scratched just twice this season but it would seem there might be more seats in the press box in his future. Oleksiak would prefer to play but he also realizes that the chances of all nine defensemen staying healthy isn't likely.
"Obviously, it's good for the whole team, right?" Oleksiak was saying. "Whenever you have guys who can step in and contribute and help the team win, especially come playoff time, depth is huge and every guy contributes at some point. Definitely nice to have that consistency down the lineup."
Maatta, who's goal on Friday night was his first in 57 games, would make the most sense to play with Schultz. He's not only a veteran, but one who's played with Schultz in the past.
But with a backlog of capable defensemen and a pressing need for a third-line center, could Maatta be dangled in a trade? Possibly.
That, as Dumoulin says, will have to play itself out.
"Just in practice, we all compete," Pettersson was saying. "It's good that we get these practices in and show that we're hungry to play, too. It's all good. It's all healthy competition."
• Eighty-four days without skating is a long time for those in Schultz's profession.
But Saturday's first steps on ice are just the beginning baby-step in getting the defenseman back in the lineup. The next step, according to Sullivan, will be working with the team's skills coach and then practices. He would still seem to be weeks away from returning to game action.
"I know he's excited, it's been a long time for him," the coach said. "These guys are built to be hockey players. They want to be on the ice every day. When you can't, it's tough. I know Justin's gone through an extended period of rehab here. For him to get back, I know he's excited. I know we're excited as far as it's his next step toward his return to play."
• Mario Lemieux joined Rutherford in the GM's box above ice level at the facility that bears his name. Lemieux is a regular on game nights but rarely is the owner seen at practices. You see, the Penguins were hosting three Make-A-Wish children Saturday. Each signed a one-day contract with the team and visited the dressing room following practice where Sidney Crosby, who had his locker bumped a stall over to accommodate the kids and their equipment, fetched and then de-taped a couple sticks to sign.
"I believe we gain more than they do by the experience," Sullivan said. "When you see these kids come in and see how much they look up to our players, I know our players really enjoy their interaction with them. I think it gives us a certain level of perspective in how fortunate we are to do what we do and the position that we are in. You see the personalities on these kids and it's contagious. They can't help but put a smile on your face."
• After combining for eight points in the last two games, the Penguins' second line of Dominik Simon, Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist seems to be starting to come together, according to Hornqvist:
• While going 4-7-3 in November wasn't ideal, Sullivan believes the experience made his team stronger.
"I think anytime you go through adversity, it makes you better people," he said. "It makes us a better team. You can't help but grow from it. And I think inevitably this league is going to force adversity on every group. I've never been associated with a team that's gone through a season where it hasn't happened. Sometimes it happens in the playoffs. But when it does, it's how you react and I think that' s the most important thing from our standpoint."
• It was a busy day ahead of watching sports for Johnson. In addition to NFL playoffs, he had the Michigan-Notre Dame outdoor hockey game later in the afternoon followed by the gold medal game between Finland and Team USA in the World Junior Championships. And no, Johnson wasn't a big fan of the Wolverines' all-white unis for the game at South Bend.
• With it being a weekend and the Penguins on a tear, it was another capacity crowd in Cranberry but nothing like the scene here last Friday before the team embarked for its three-game road trip.
• It was also full attendance on the ice as all expected regulars did take part in the 45-minute, on-ice session.
• The lines and pairs Saturday:
Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Simon-Malkin-Hornqvist
Pearson-Brassard-Kessel
Aston-Reese--Cullen-Sheahan
(Grant)
Dumoulin-Letang
Pettersson-Johnson
Maatta-Riikola
(Oleksiak)