Connor Dewar

Connor Dewar sits out for the Penguins on Thursday, leaving a hole in their bottom-six grind that Pittsburgh's staff has been counting on amid a tight schedule. Whispers from the Pittsburgh locker room suggest this isn't just a maintenance day, as the team juggles injury bugs with playoff positioning in the Metro. Front offices around the league keep tabs on these absences, knowing how they ripple into lineup tweaks and trade chatter as the season winds down.

Connor Dewar slides seamlessly into the center role for the Penguins, bringing the grit and secondary scoring that Pittsburgh's bottom six desperately needs this late in the season. The 26-year-old trade acquisition from Toronto has already smashed career highs with 13 goals and 24 points through 56 games, proving he's no fluke in a lineup that's leaned on him for penalty-kill reliability.

Connor Dewar slides into Pittsburgh's bottom six and immediately transforms it with the grit front offices crave and secondary scoring that keeps coaches smiling. Acquired from Toronto in a low-key deal last March, the 26-year-old center already shatters career highs with 13 goals and 24 points through 56 games while anchoring the penalty kill. Everyone saw the physical edge he brings, but this offensive surge has Penguins insiders buzzing about his role in the playoff push.