Pens Sign Taylor Pyatt

The Penguins claimed veteran left wing Taylor Pyatt off waivers from the New York Rangers on Thursday. Pyatt had one assist, 10 penalty minutes and a minus-9 rating in 22 games this season before the Rangers placed him on waivers Wednesday. The past two seasons in New York Pyatt, 32, had six goals and six assists in 70 regular-season games and two goals and two assists in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games, all in 2013. Taken by the New York Islanders with the eighth pick of the 1999 NHL Draft, Pyatt has 136 goals and 276 points in 825 NHL regular-season games with the Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes and Rangers. His best season was 2006-07 with Vancouver, when he had a career-best 23 goals.

According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Shelly Anderson, journeyman winger Chris Conner will have surgery this week to repair an undisclosed hand injury. Conner will be out six to eight weeks, said Penguins coach Dan Bylsma. At least this time it’s a member of the forward corps, as the defensive squad has been absolutely hammered this season by health issues. Conner, 30, has played in 19 games with the Penguins since being called up by AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, scoring four goals and five total points in a bottom-six forward role. This is his second stint with Pittsburgh, with time in the Dallas, Detroit and Phoenix organizations mixed in as well. Conner’s injury clarifies the earlier news of forward Taylor Pyatt being claimed off waivers from the New York Rangers. At 6-foot-4, Pyatt is nearly a foot taller than Conner and certainly not as fast, so it’s not a one-for-one replacement, although Pyatt does help the Penguins’ depth at wing.

In more positive injury-related news, center Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang skated alongside their teammates in Thursday’s practice session and participated in power-play drills on the second unit. Malkin, whose 41 points rank him ninth in the league, hasn’t played since injuring his left leg when banging into the end boards Dec. 14 at Detroit. The P-G‘s Anderson reported Malkin still has some pain and weakness in the leg, but he expects to be a game-time decision for Friday’s home tilt against the Rangers. While Malkin has missed the Pens’ past eight games, Letang’s been in the press box for nine straight with an infected wound in his arm. Last year’s Norris Trophy finalist has been out of the lineup for 18 of Pittsburgh’s 42 games with various ailments.