I wanted the Week 20 AHL Power Rankings to get the views yesterday so I am running this old news this morning. Yesterday afternoon the Penguins announced the recalls of forwards Josh Archibald, J-S Dea and defenseman Harrison Ruopp.
I get the recalls of Archibald and Dea. There were no healthy scratches for the Penguins Sunday in their 4-1 win over Hartford. Bryan Rust and Bobby Farnham left with injuries this weekend. Nick Drazenovic is still technically “week to week” also. So their recalls make sense. What I don’t get is the recall of Harrison Ruopp. The Penguins have seven defensemen (Chorney, Dumoulin, McNeill, Harrington, D’Agostino, Goers and Boak) on their roster. Ruopp gives them eight. Unless someone was banged up Sunday in Hartford (I didn’t notice anyone) or there is a body heading back to Wheeling (Boak? D’Agostino?) or perhaps a trade, this move baffles me. Who knows.
The Penguins cancelled practice scheduled for today, so any updates regarding the moves or the statuses of Farnham, Rust and Drazenovic will need to wait till Wednesday.
How have Dea and Archibald done in Wheeling? I’d say pretty good. They sent Archibald down to Wheeling to regain his scoring touch. In a 4-1 Nailers win in Kalamazoo Sunday, Archibald had a hat trick and an assist. Overall, he was 6-4-10 in eight games. Dea was a respectable 2-1-3 in eight games.
Nothing yet from Springfield regarding supplemental discipline on the unpenalized Dylan McIlrath hit on Farnham by the way. There may not be anything. I defer to the AHL to render a decision in this regard. It’s not worth getting worked up over it really. They either suspend him or they don’t. If they do, I’ll have a follow-up blog later.
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Chirps from Center Ice 
has Payerl played his way out of the lineup for the most part? Last year when the Pens needed a checking guy in the NHL.Sill.got a shot and the Payerl got a couple games late. Has he slid down the depth chart or is injury slowing him this year?
Yes to both. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him moved at the trade deadline i.e. Paul Thompson.
Hmm, does the cancelled practice mean they are too banged up to make it practical?
And I agree, although the hit on Farnham looked a bit high in real-time, I think the AHL is most suited to make this call. Even if there is a suspension, I would expect a 1 to 3 game range.
I think it may be that a little but more to the fact that they are 10-1-1-1 in their last 13.