The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that Olli Maatta should be back at some point within the next month. Maatta hasn’t played since Dec. 6 due to a shoulder injury, but the silver lining is that he won’t need surgery, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Josh Yohe.
This has been a trying season for the 20-year-old defenseman, to say the least. He had a cancerous tumor removed from his neck in early November and was diagnosed with the mumps while he was attempting to recover from his current shoulder injury.
He established himself with the Penguins last season, scoring nine goals and 29 points in 78 contests as a rookie. He’s missed 14 games so far in his sophomore campaign.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will play against the Washington Capitals tonight on NBCSN.