Who can replace forward Lars Eller for the Penguins?

The Pittsburgh Penguins had a few more bodies on Wednesday during their optional morning skate in Cranberry.

A total of 12 players took to the ice. That represented an increase from the eight souls present at Monday’s session, a handful of hours before the Penguins were defeated 7-1 by the Dallas Stars at PPG Paints Arena.

Lars Eller was not there on Wednesday. And with good reason.

The sturdy two-way center on the third line had been traded to the Washington Capitals for a handful of mid-round draft picks about sixteen hours earlier.

The feeling in the locker room at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex at the sight of a respected teammate was less than vibrant.

But none of this was unexpected given the general breakdowns of a team with a 6-9-2 record entering the day.

“Where we are in the standings right now, it’s inevitable that things will change,” Penguins forward Blake Lizotte said. “It’s a great opportunity for guys to step up. I look at it as an opportunity for myself and for the team to work together and form this next-man-up mentality, which I think can contribute greatly to the character of a team.”

Through an email with Pittsburgh-based outlets, Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas mentioned Lizotte by name as someone who can fill the variety of roles Eller filled — including both special teams units — during his tenure with the team.

After suffering a concussion during the preseason, Lizotte, a free agent who signed in July, was sidelined for the first eleven games of the regular season. When he rejoined the active roster on October 31, he primarily functioned as a fourth-line center. In six games, he has two goals while averaging 9:59 of ice time per game.

Lizotte acknowledged there is still some rust from his postponement, but said he is confident he can help fill the void left by Eller’s departure.

“I feel like my game is now in a good place to be strong both defensively and offensively,” Lizotte said. “I would say there are some little timing things happening throughout the game that aren’t comfortable yet. But for the most part I feel pretty good there.”

Forward Drew O’Connor skated extensively alongside Eller during their shared tenure with the club. He is usually deployed as a left winger, has experience as a center – mainly in the American Hockey League (AHL) – and could take on some of Eller’s duties.

“As a group, we have a lot of centers here and a lot of good players,” O’Connor said. “It will take all of us to fill that void. It was clear he was great at taking penalties and was reliable defensively. He was a great guy to have with us over the years. For me personally, a great guy to learn from. I played with him a lot over the time he was here. A great teammate. It was sad to see him go.”

While he hardly relished Eller being jettisoned, rookie forward Sam Poulin was far from sad on Wednesday morning. Recalled on Monday, Poulin was a healthy scratch that evening. With Eller gone, Poulin — a first-round draft pick (No. 21 overall) in 2019 — is expected to make his season debut at the NHL level on Wednesday.

“I feel good, to be honest,” Poulin said, flashing one of the few smiles in the team’s locker room. “I think I prepared in the right way. I wanted to stay ready. That’s what I did and I’m just happy to be there.”

As of Wednesday, Poulin had played just six games (recording one assist) over parts of two different seasons in his NHL career. This season, with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, Poulin had scored nine points (three goals, six assists) in 11 games.

What can he do better in his next NHL game?

“I think I’m assertive,” Poulin said. “The first few games I played, I think I was a bit in my head and overthinking things. Didn’t really play my game. If I just focus on a few things, I will like what I see (Wednesday) night.”

Poulin’s game isn’t the only thing that has grown.

He has that too.

While he reported to the team’s training camp in 2023 at a listed 214 pounds, he is now listed at a stout 227 pounds (and 6-foot-4).

Size and strength aren’t exactly an abundant quality among the incumbent forwards on the Penguins roster.

“It helps, no doubt,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “Having size in your range helps you in so many different ways. Because you are only strong on the puck, you are difficult to move in front of the net, in the combat areas and on the walls. …Physical size and stature are themselves a competitive advantage if you use them properly. He’s a man who could possibly help us too. He’s strong on the puck.

“One of his biggest strengths in his game is playing low in the offensive zone, his ability to protect pucks and create plays from below the goal line. He’s strong up front, has a good stick, has the ability to score deflection goals, rebound goals and things like that. His size also helps him with that.”