Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Scores first goal of 2022-23
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Ruhwedel netted a goal in a 4-3 victory over Washington on Saturday.
Ruhwedel's marker came midway through the second period to put Pittsburgh ahead 2-0. It was his first goal and fifth point in 42 contests this season. Ruhwedel was held off the scoresheet over his previous seven outings. The 32-year-old defenseman hasn't recorded more than 13 points in a single campaign, so he's never been a significant offensive contributor.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Gathers helper
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Ruhwedel logged an assist, two blocked shots and two PIM in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Avalanche.
With injuries piling up on the Penguins' blue line, Ruhwedel has appeared in three straight games. His helper was his first point in his last six contests. The 32-year-old defenseman has five assists, 34 shots on net, 77 hits, 41 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating through 40 appearances. Even when he's in the lineup, he rarely sees more than bottom-four minutes.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Surprising two-point effort
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Ruhwedel recorded two assists in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Islanders.
The veteran defenseman was in and out of the lineup due to injury and went 27 games without getting onto the scoresheet from mid-November through the All-Star break, but he's suddenly produced three helpers in his last three games. Ruhwedel has never had more than 13 points in an NHL season, however, and 2022-23 doesn't figure to break that pattern given his lack of power-play time and bottom-pairing role.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Snaps slump Friday
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Ruhwedel notched an assist, two shots on goal, two hits and a plus-3 rating in Friday's 6-3 win over the Ducks.
Ruhwedel has been a scratch on occasion this season, but he's played in every game in 2023. He snapped a 27-game point drought with a secondary helper on Bryan Rust's third-period tally. Ruhwedel has just two assists through 32 contests overall while logging a small role on the Penguins' third pairing. While he's added 61 hits and 32 blocked shots, the 32-year-old is a non-factor in most fantasy formats.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Continuing to play despite slump
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Ruhwedel hasn't recorded a point since Nov. 11 versus Toronto, which is his only point this season.
Ruhwedel has never been an offensive force and frequently serves as the seventh defenseman on the depth chart. Once Jan Rutta (upper body) is cleared to play, Ruhwedel will almost certainly find himself watching from the press box as a healthy scratch.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Ready to rock
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Ruhwedel (upper body) will be back in the lineup Monday against Boston.
Pittsburgh will dress seven defensemen in the Winter Classic with Ruhwedel back in the fold. Ryan Poehling and Drew O'Connor are listed as scratches for the contest. Ruhwedel, who had been out since Dec. 27, has one assist, 10 shots on goal, 15 blocks and 21 hits in 17 games this season.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Is minus-1 in return
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Ruhwedel (upper body) had a minus-1 rating in a 2-1 loss to Boston in Monday's Winter Classic.
Ruhwedel also recorded two hits and a blocked shot in 11:13 of ice time. He had been held out of Pittsburgh's previous two games because of the injury. Ruhwedel has an assist, 23 hits and 16 blocks in 18 games this season. He hasn't registered a point in his last seven contests, but the 32-year-old has been credited with 10 hits and nine blocks over that span.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Won't play Friday
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Ruhwedel (upper body) won't play Friday against New Jersey.
Ruhwedel also missed Wednesday's game versus Detroit because of the injury. He has an assist in 17 contests this season. Ty Smith is set to make his Penguins' debut on the third pairing with Brian Dumoulin.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Sidelined with upper-body issue
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Per Wes Crosby of NHL.com, Ruhwedel (upper body) is still being evaluated, indicating he won't be available for Wednesday's game versus the Red Wings.
Ruhwedel will miss at least one contest with the upper-body injury he sustained during Tuesday's loss to the Islanders. With Ruhwedel sidelined, look for Ty Smith or Mark Friedman to enter the lineup against Detroit.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Departs in second period
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Ruhwedel (undisclosed) exited Tuesday's game versus the Islanders in the second period, Taylor Haase of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Ruhwedel was in and out of the locker room, but left late in the second period and didn't return for the third. The 32-year-old defenseman has just one assist through 17 appearances this season, so he likely won't be missed much in fantasy. If Ruhwedel isn't able to play Wednesday versus the Red Wings, Mark Friedman would likely enter the lineup. Head coach Mike Sullivan clarified Ruhwedel is dealing with an upper-body injury, per Haase.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Held off scoresheet again
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Ruhwedel was blanked against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
Ruhwedel has been pressed into service with Kris Letang (illness) sidelined indefinitely but shouldn't be expected to replace Letang's offensive production. In his 10 appearances this year, Ruhwedel has just one helper, seven shots and 13 hits while averaging a mere 13:36 of ice time.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Strong effort against Toronto
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Ruhwedel registered an assist to complement a plus-2 rating in Friday's 4-2 win over the Maple Leafs.
Ruhwedel's playing time has diminished, in no small part because the Penguins appear committed to fast-tracking the development of 2017 first-round pick (No. 23 overall) Pierre-Olivier Joseph, who wound up in Pittsburgh as part of the Phil Kessel trade. However, Joseph is currently dealing with an upper-body injury, and the Pens prioritized work for Ruhwedel ahead of AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton call-up Mark Friedman, at least for the latest contest.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Two points in commanding win
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Ruhwedel crafted a goal and an assist to complement a plus-3 rating in Saturday's 7-2 rout against the Red Wings.
Ruhwedel made his only shot count in this one, as he caught goalie Thomas Greiss completely out of position. He also posted a secondary apple on an Evgeni Malkin goal, which culminated in his first two-point effort of the season. The physical blueliner has four goals, nine assists, 77 blocked shots and 140 hits with three games remaining in the regular season.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Nets first goal of month
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Ruhwedel added a goal in a 3-2 win over the Blues on Thursday.
Ruhwedel dropped the first goal of the game in this one, scoring 14:42 into the first period. The defenseman also added two PIM and two hits. In 58 contests this season, Ruhwedel has three goals and five assists.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Inks two-year extension
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Ruhwedel signed a two-year, $1.6 million contract extension with Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Ruhwedel's extension begins following the 2021-22 season and keeps him in Pittsburgh through 2023-24. His new deal carries an average annual salary of $800,000. The 31-year-old has tallied six points, delivered a career-high 91 hits, blocked a career-high 43 shots and averaged 15:25 of ice time over 47 games this season.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Sends helper in win
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Ruhwedel notched an assist, four hits, three blocked shots and two PIM in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Devils.
Ruhwedel set up Mike Matheson's tally in the second period. The assist snapped a month-long drought on offense for Ruhwedel, who last got on the scoresheet Jan. 13 with a helper versus the Kings. The 31-year-old blueliner has five assists, 87 hits, 40 blocked shots, 45 shots on net and a plus-3 rating in 45 appearances. There are likely higher-scoring defensemen available on the waiver wire in most formats.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Exits protocols
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Ruhwedel (COVID-19 protocols) is expected to play Tuesday against Washington, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Ruhwedel was placed on the COVID-19 list earlier Tuesday but it appears that could've been a false positive. The 31-year-old blueliner is expected to skate in his usual bottom-pair role against the Capitals.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Enters COVID-19 protocols
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Ruhwedel was placed in the league's COVID-19 protocols Tuesday, Pens Inside Scoop reports.
Fortunately for Ruhwedel, the Penguins won't play again until Feb. 8 against the Bruins, so he should have time to clear protocols and may avoid missing any additional contests. While the 31-year-old San Diego native is not exactly an offensive stud, he's reached the 10-point threshold just once in his 10-year NHL career, Ruhwedel has been a reliable defensive option. In his stead, Mark Friedman figures to play in just his second game since mid-November.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Contributes assist in loss
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Ruhwedel logged an assist and two shots on goal in Thursday's 6-2 loss to the Kings.
Ruhwedel helped out on Radim Zohorna's third-period marker. The 31-year-old Ruhwedel snapped a five-game point drought with the assist. The California native remains a fixture on the third pairing, where he's earned four assists, 35 shots on net, 60 hits, 28 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating in 32 outings. He's unlikely to score enough to earn interest in fantasy.
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Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel: Logs helper Sunday
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Ruhwedel recorded an assist, two hits and two blocked shots in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Devils.
Ruhwedel has two assists in his last four games, but it's too early to describe it as a hot stretch. The 31-year-old plays a predominantly defensive role on the third pairing. He's up to three helpers, 28 shots on net, 49 hits, 26 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating in 26 appearances.
