NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Olli Maatta wore a full-contact jersey and worked with Zach Trotman on an extra defense pairing during Thursday's morning skate at Bridgestone Arena. Maatta won't play tonight, obviously, but that does mean that he is nearing his return from a separated shoulder sustained Feb. 11 against the Flyers.
"It's nice to join the guys finally," Maatta said. "Hopefully, I'll get back there soon enough."
Given his injury history, a five-week absence is almost a best-case scenario. But when he does get back, it means that the Penguins will have a surplus of defensemen. Mike Sullivan reiterated Thursday that he's never been a big believer of using seven defensemen and 11 forwards in the lineup, but he didn't rule it out either.
"I think the competition is obvious," Sullivan said. "We have a lot of real solid defensemen. When Olli is cleared to play, it will make for some difficult decisions from our standpoint."
The Penguins' three defense pairs, each featuring left- and right-handed shots, seem to be solidified with Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin on the top pair, Jack Johnson and Justin Schultz on the second and Marcus Pettersson and Erik Gudbranson on the third. They also have Trotman and Chad Ruhwedel, who is out with his own upper-body injury.
When I asked Maatta about the competition to win back his job, he said it will only bring out the best in him and his teammates.
"I think it's good for us," he said. "When you look at whenever we've gone far, you need that depth. I think right now, the group of d-men we have, we have nine D. Everybody can play. We've all proven that. It's just competition. It just pushes others to get better and better."
BRADFORD'S VIEW
Where exactly Maatta will fit in when he gets back will be interesting, to say the least.
The Penguins played some of their best defensive hockey when Letang was out of the lineup. But Letang is a world-class talent that can be used in all situations. Maatta's case is a little different. He is a strong, two-way defenseman and has two Stanley Cup rings to his resume, but he's a complementary piece.
Sullivan wasn't lying when he said that it's a tough decision and I don't think he'll go with seven defenseman, either. There's no easy choice.
The guess here, is that Maatta will replace Pettersson. There's also a business decision to consider. If the Penguins are looking to trade Maatta this summer, he has to play.
