The Pittsburgh Penguins' playoff push just got a little tougher. On Saturday, head coach Mike Sullivan announced that forward Nick Bonino is week-to-week with a lacerated kidney.
Bonino, who the Penguins acquired from the San Jose Sharks ahead of the trade deadline, suffered the injury in Thursday night's loss to the New York Islanders. That was just Bonino's third game since returning to Pittsburgh.
Sullivan said Bonino has started the recovery process and will remain a strong presence in the locker room.
"It's hard," Sullivan said. "We were excited for him to be here. He's a great guy and player - a great voice in the locker room. He will continue to be that for us. The prognosis is encouraging and he's on the mend."
In his first stint with the Penguins from 2015 to 2017, Bonino was a big part of the Penguins' back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. He played a combined 45 games in those two postseason runs and scored eight goals while adding 17 assists.
In his first three games after rejoining the Penguins, Bonino didn't find the scoresheet, but he tallied 10 goals and nine assists in 59 games with the Sharks this season.
Bonino's injury is bad news for a Penguins team that is trying to hold onto the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators are both within four points of Pittsburgh in the standings.
