Penguins give heartbreaking update on Andrei Kuzmenko after his father's tragic death

Andrei Kuzmenko is back with the Penguins, on the ice for practice this morning after a leave of absence following the death of his father, Alexander.

There's no stat sheet for what he's carrying. Grief doesn't check the schedule, and it found the 30-year-old just as a new chapter was opening.

This is his first season in a Penguins sweater. The winger already made stops in Vancouver, Calgary, Philadelphia and Los Angeles before landing here.

He had no part in Wednesday's 7-0 rout in Philadelphia. Arturs Silovs posted the shutout, and Nicholas Robertson scored twice.

So he walks into a room that's already rolling. Pittsburgh sits first in its division at 1-0-0, with a +7 goal differential after one night of work.

It's a bit like walking into a birthday party with a phone call still ringing in your ears. The noise is real, and so is the weight.

Canadiens come to town Saturday with Kuzmenko back in the fold

Montreal visits Saturday night for Pittsburgh's home opener, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. Whether Kuzmenko dresses is Dan Muse's call.

The Canadiens won't offer a soft landing. Martin St-Louis brings in a group fresh off a 3-2 road win in Toronto.

There are familiar voices in that room, at least. Evgeni Malkin and Egor Chinakhov, both Russian, each scored on the power play in the opener.

And here's the hockey question nobody should rush. What version of Kuzmenko does Pittsburgh get, and how soon?

Because the ceiling is real. Back in 2022-23 with Vancouver, he ripped 39 goals and 74 points.

Then came the drift. Last season with the Kings, he managed 25 points in 52 games.

Career-wise, he's at 182 points through 271 NHL games. Not bad for a right-shot left winger from Yakutsk who didn't reach the NHL until 2022-23.

The money adds another layer. He carries a $5,000,000 cap hit this season and is headed for unrestricted free agency when it ends.

Which is exactly why Kyle Dubas and Muse should let him set the pace. Throwing him into the lineup Saturday just to check a box would be a mistake.

A contract year usually sharpens a player. Nobody knows yet what it does to one who's grieving, and Saturday may only be the start of that answer.

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