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Dan Muse provides an injury update on Sam Girard as Penguins travel to face the Rangers
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Seth Rorabaugh citing coach Dan Muse says Sam Girard is still being evaluated, yet he's traveling for Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers.
That combo, undisclosed injury plus travel, usually screams "game-time call," not shutdown.
It also tells you the Penguins do not love their fallback options on the left side right now.
Girard just arrived, and the timing is brutal. Pittsburgh brought him in days before the March 6 trade deadline, then immediately lost the comfort of a clean ramp-up.
The context matters, because his skill set is exactly what this roster leans on when it is missing finish or pace.
Dan Muse confirmed Girard will travel to New York with the group, even without a new update.
The Penguins are 30-15-12, and they have been banking points while the Metro stays tight.
Saturday is not a soft landing, even with the Rangers wobbling.
Samuel Girard could reshape the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pens fans are excited about the new toy, but the second he limps, you can feel the anxiety creep right back in.
Girard's 2025-26 line sits at 3-9-12 in 41 games, and that is with a role that shrank late in Colorado.
Pittsburgh did not trade for him to play safe, glass-and-out hockey.
They want him touching pucks early in breakouts, dragging forechecks out of lanes, and feeding the middle so the top-six can attack with speed.
The cap piece is real too, because Girard carries a $5.0 million cap hit, and this is the kind of swing you make when you expect him in your top-four.
If he cannot go, the domino is workload, more minutes for Kris Letang, more stress on the pairings, and less clean transition.
The Rangers are sitting at 22-29-7, and the Garden can get nasty fast when games start sideways.
That is why Girard traveling matters, even if he ends up watching. It keeps the threat alive, and the next milestone is the lineup card on Saturday.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Sam Girard injury update: Penguins defenseman under evaluation after recent trade acquisition
Sam Girard injury update: Penguins defenseman under evaluation after recent trade acquisition
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 27|73 ANSWERS Dan Muse provides an injury update on Sam Girard as Penguins travel to face the Rangers Will Sam Girard play Saturday against the New York Rangers? | ||
| Yes | 46 | 63 % |
| No | 27 | 37 % |
| List of polls | ||