Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust will begin the 2019-20 campaign on long-term injured reserve, the team announced Wednesday.
In a corresponding move, the Penguins recalled defenceman John Marino from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Rust took a puck to the hand over the weekend during a pre-season game and will now miss at least the first 10 games of the regular season.
The 27-year-old registered a career-high 18 goals in 72 games during the 2018-19 season.
Rust’s $3.5-million average annual value won’t count towards Pittsburgh’s salary cap while he’s on LTIR, which benefits a team that has been looking to shed some dollars.
Marino has spent the past three seasons at Harvard University. The 22-year-old was acquired by the Penguins from the Edmonton Oilers in July. He went plus-five and added two assists in five pre-season appearances.
The Penguins open their regular season on Thursday at home against the Buffalo Sabres.
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