The Penguins will be hoping to get two points when they face the Dallas Stars Friday at 7:08 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena.
Dominik Kahun undoubtedly would be happy to get one of his own.
After all, that would match his output through the first seven games of the season.
Kahun, projected as a potential first-line right winger when the Penguins acquired him from Chicago for Olli Maatta during the offseason, has proven to be as versatile as advertised -- he has moved up and down the lineup and worked on both wings -- but has not been as productive as the team anticipated.
His only point so far was an assist on a Teddy Blueger goal during a 7-2 victory over the Blue Jackets in the second game of the season.
Although Kahun's overall game has improved of late -- "We think he's gaining some traction," Mike Sullivan said today -- Jim Rutherford is among those counting on him to make some tangible contributions.
"We had a decent handle on him (before the trade)," Rutherford said. "He played better than this a year ago, so he has more to give. I think he's going through an adjustment period. I would say that over the last few games, he's played better. He's been more involved in the game.
"He's moving his feet. I think, in the early going, he was trying to figure out the different lines he was playing on and he was trying to do things standing still. Now, he's in the flow of the game. He's moving his feet. He's getting a few more chances. There's probably more there for him to give."
His play with the Blackhawks in 2018-19, Kahun's first in the NHL, certainly suggests that, as he put up 13 goals and 24 assists in 82 games and often was deployed with the likes of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.
"He got almost 40 points last year," Rutherford said. "You don't get that by chance. He doesn't have a lot of points with us in the early going, but he can still do that."
• Sullivan said forward Jared McCann, who did not play Wednesday because of an unspecified lower-body injury, will be a game-time decision. McCann practiced Thursday with no apparent difficulty.
• Injured forwards Evgeni Malkin and Alex Galchenyuk worked out on the ice this morning. Malkin was in a track suit, Galchenyuk in what appeared to be full equipment. "Obviously, the fact that they're on the ice suggests that they're at another stage in their rehab process," Sullivan said. "They're getting closer and that's encouraging, from our standpoint."
• Three of the Penguins' injured players -- forwards Nick Bjugstad and Bryan Rust, and defenseman Zach Trotman -- were among the eight who participated in an optional game-day skate. Rust (hand) and Trotman (sports hernia surgery) are on Long-Term Injured Reserve.
Because the game-day skate was optional, there were no line rushes. Here are the personnel combinations the Penguins used in practice Thursday:
Jake Guentzel -- Sidney Crosby -- Dominik Simon
Dominik Kahun -- Jared McCann -- Patric Hornqvist
Zach Aston-Reese -- Teddy Blueger -- Brandon Tanev
Adam Johnson -- Joseph Blandisi -- Sam Lafferty
Brian Dumoulin -- Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson -- Justin Schultz
Jack Johnson -- John Marino
Extras: Erik Gudbranson, Chad Ruhwedel, Juuso Riikola
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