Penguins Defenseman Nearing Return from Injury

Pittsburgh Penguins placed defenseman John Ludvig was placed on LTIR on January 3rd after suffering an undisclosed upper body injury. To be able to play again you must sit out for at least 10 games and 24 days.

Ludvig Skates at Penguins Practice

The Penguins Defenseman skated for the first time since the injury this morning at the Penguins morning skate in solitude right before the team laced them up for the first team practice.

Ludvig, 23 is playing his first season in the NHL and has 1 point in 19 games. Despite the low offensive numbers, the rookie Dman has impressed Penguins management with his steady underrated defensive play. The Czech native has been injured two times this season, where he got hurt in his first NHL game, in a scary collision.

What this means for the Pens

Getting John Ludvig back as an available piece for your back end for the Penguins is very good news as they look to add themselves depth on the blue line. As the Penguins enter the final stretch of the season, they hope their guys start getting healthy and staying healthy in order to avoid paying hefty prices for steady defensemen at the NHL trade deadline.

Not only that, Coach Sullivan hopes to have options at the backend in case of inconsistent play from his bottom pairing. John Ludvig will not be returning just yet, but it's only a matter of time.

More details to follow

As read on: Pittsburgh Penguins - Reilly Smith out Long Term