Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Caleb Jones blocked a shot in the third period of the team’s 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena Thursday. The Penguins won, but the defenseman lost.
Saturday morning, the team announced Jones will miss eight weeks with a lower-body injury.
Jones, 28, hobbled off the ice, unable to put pressure on his left leg or foot at 6:48 of the third. He did not return, and coach Dan Muse said following that game that he was being evaluated.
The team placed the left-handed Jones on injured reserve, which would open a roster spot if the Penguins choose to recall another left-handed defenseman. The team has only two healthy lefties, Parker Wotherspoon and Ryan Shea.
Connor Clifton, a right-handed defenseman, played his second game this season on Saturday. Clifton or Matt Dumba are the next defensemen in line for playing time, but Dumba is also right-handed.
Top defenseman prospect Owen Pickering was among the final cuts in training camp and played 25 games last season. T6-foot-5 Pickering is left-handed. The team also waived Ryan Graves, a left-handed defenseman, following camp. Either could be recalled.
As of publishing, no recall announcement has been made.
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