Update emerges on Rutger McGroarty at Penguins practice today

The Penguins received a small bit of hope at practice on Wednesday, as Rutger McGroarty was out on the ice skating with a no-contact jersey on.

This is the first bit of news that has been remotely positive since he was sent to injured reserve a week ago with a concussion he suffered after running into a teammate at practice.

There is no timeline just yet, but it is a nice sight to see that he is out there at all.

His injury last week occurred just one day after Evgeni Malkin returned to practice in full following a month-long absence due to an upper-body injury. It's been a constant cycle in Pittsburgh as one player returns just in time for another one to go down.

McGroarty, 21, began the season on IR because of an upper-body injury, which prevented him from participating in the initial period of training camp and the first month and a half of play.

Later, he spent five games in the AHL, where he logged four goals and seven points, before his return to the NHL, where he accumulated two goals and three points in the last 16 contests.

Having him back on the ice, even if it is to a limited extent, is definitely what gives Pittsburgh a glimmer of hope as it pertains to having another key man on board as it navigates through a tough stretch of games.

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