The Pittsburgh Penguins will face the Minnesota Wild on Saturday without promising young defenseman Olli Maatta.
The team didn’t provide details regarding why the 19-year-old isn’t playing, aside from the fact that it’s an undisclosed injury and that an update will be provided after the game.
Update: He’s considered day-to-day.
It’s been quite the debut season for the Finnish defenseman. He has 29 points, a 9 rating and 14 penalty minutes in 75 games played. He also received some valuable experience helping Finland win a bronze medal in Sochi.
If this isn’t a serious issue, this injury break may be a blessing in disguise, as he’s already had a busy first season at the NHL level and could face an extended playoff run to boot.