Penguins evaluating Bryan Rust for upper-body injury

Bryan Rust is being evaluated for an upper-body injury after leaving the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 3-1 preseason win against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, NHL.com reported Sunday. He exited early in the second period.

“Rusty’s obviously a huge part of our group,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said Sunday. “I thought he had a great camp, and so, it’s unfortunate.”

The Penguins’ own game recap said Muse had no status update immediately after Saturday’s game. The subsequent evaluation identifies the injury as upper-body, but neither report provides a timetable for Rust’s return.