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Dan Muse Breaks Silence on Harrison Brunicke's Uncertain Future With the Penguins
Penguins head coach Dan Muse spoke about Harrison Brunicke's future with the NHL club, and he revealed that he still has not made a final decision just yet.
The Pittsburgh Penguins made a bunch of moves on Tuesday, sending young blueliner Owen Pickering back to the AHL, placing three others on injured reserve, and then recalling two veterans and top goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov from the AHL.
But that's not the only roster decision they will have to make in the coming days, as defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke played in his ninth NHL game Monday in a brutal 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
That means he has reached the first benchmark as far as his contract status, and a decision must be made imminently.
Dan Muse was asked today about what his plans are for Brunicke going forward, and he revealed that he has still not made a decision just yet.
Brunicke also stated that no one has approached him yet with any information about where he will be playing in the future.
If Harrison Brunicke suits up in just one more NHL game, it will burn a full year of his entry-level contract
Should Brunicke play in another NHL game this season, his three-year entry-level contract would kick in this season, which has already happened with 18-year-old rookie Ben Kindel, who reached that point and played in his 12th NHL game Monday.
The Penguins also have the option to re-assign Brunicke to his junior team, the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL, if they feel his game still needs some developing and polishing.
Last week, a third option was revealed about what the Penguins could do with Brunicke, which would involve the team taking advantage of a loophole by sending him to the AHL for a five-game, or 14-day maximum conditioning stint after being scratched for five consecutive NHL games.
While this is certainly still an option, and with Brunicke now having played his ninth game, it's probably not as likely at this point. It seems like it will either come down to the WHL or the NHL.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 5 | 89 ANSWERS Dan Muse Breaks Silence on Harrison Brunicke's Uncertain Future With the Penguins Do you believe Dan Muse will keep Harrison Brunicke in the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 51 | 57.3 % |
| No | 38 | 42.7 % |
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