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Patric Hornqvist sent home with upper-body injury
Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Penguins had a noticeable absence from their morning skate today when Patric Hornqvist was missing, and Josh Yohe of The Athletic reported that there was no locker for the winger in the dressing room.

Yohe reports that the team has sent Hornqvist back to Pittsburgh with an upper-body injury, another blow to a team that has struggled to find its footing this season. The Penguins now sit in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division and are only two points ahead of both the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes despite having played two more games than each team. The premise of finding themselves at the bottom of the division isn’t a familiar one to the team, and losing Hornqvist just makes it even tougher.

The 31-year-old winger has 21 points this year and is tied for the team lead with six power-play goals. Though he’s scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, he’s an important part of the Penguins' offensive group and isn’t expected to be moved unless the team falls out of the race entirely.

Dominik Simon was also missing from the skate due to illness.

This article first appeared on Pro Hockey Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

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