Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta had shoulder surgery 10 months ago.
His rehabilitation is over.
His recovery is not.
Oh, Maatta is adamant that having a surgically repaired shoulder doesn’t affect anything he does on the ice — “I don’t have to worry about it, I know it’s strong enough to play” — but it does have an impact on how he has been used this season.
Assistant coach Gary Agnew, who oversees the defense, has been cautious about how often he deploys Maatta, particularly on special teams.
Maatta is averaging 16:45 of ice time per game.