Penguins Notebook: Andrei Kuzmenko Close to Returning, New-Look Third Line Takes Shape

The Pittsburgh Penguins held practice on Monday as they continued to work toward getting Andrei Kuzmenko back into game action. According to the team’s notebook coverage, Kuzmenko is close to returning, and his status has begun to shape how Pittsburgh is structuring its forward group heading into its next stretch of games.

Pittsburgh’s weekend result provided a recent reference point. The Penguins followed up their prior work with a 2-1 shootout win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday, a result that carried extra weight for a team focused on sharpening details after a road-tested game format. The win also gave the Penguins something to build on as they moved from game-day preparation back into practice routines.

With Monday’s session underway, Pittsburgh appears to be using the opportunity to sort out its depth. The notebook notes that the Penguins have a new-look third line again, suggesting that the team is continuing to experiment with who fits where depending on personnel availability. In practical terms, changes on the third line often affect how a team manages matchups, defensive responsibility in transition, and late-game puck support in close contests.

Kuzmenko’s near-return adds another layer to the lineup picture. The central storyline for Pittsburgh right now is balancing continuity with the need to be ready immediately when a key forward is cleared to play. Even when a player is not yet in the lineup, the rest of the roster still has to establish patterns, chemistry, and responsibilities so that the team does not lose its structure when that player returns.

A shootout win can influence the way a team approaches its next game day, even when the outcome is decided after regulation. For the Penguins, the emphasis in practice typically shifts toward puck management, zone exits, and creating the kinds of looks that matter in a tightly contested game. Monday’s reshuffled third line, paired with Kuzmenko coming back into the conversation, points to Pittsburgh trying to create reliable depth offense without disrupting the defensive habits that must hold up in the final minutes.

What to watch next is how quickly Kuzmenko can transition from “near return” into a regular role, and whether the third-line experimentation becomes more fixed. If the Penguins are able to keep their depth functional while integrating him, it would set them up for smoother rotations later in the season. If not, Monday’s new-look third line could be a sign that more reshuffling is likely before the roster settles.