Pens' Despres Activated Off IR, Assigned To AHL

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The Pittsburgh Penguins' injury list got a little shorter Monday morning.

According to the team's official website, the Penguins have activated defenseman Simon Despres from the injured reserve list.

He will not be rejoining the parent club at the moment, as he was assigned to the team's AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The 20-year-old defenseman has appeared in 14 games with the Penguins and has a goal and three assists. He also has a plus-four rating.

Despres has been out of the lineup since suffering a knee injury in a game against the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 10.

On Saturday, the Penguins welcomed Jordan Staal back to the lineup after missing 15 games with a knee injury.

At the moment, Sidney Crosby (concussion-like symptoms), Arron Asham (concussion) and Tyler Kennedy are out for the Penguins.

Both Crosby and Asham have resumed skating before the team's practices, but there is no timeline for their return.

Kennedy is expected to miss the next four-to-six weeks after suffering a high ankle sprain against the Devils on Jan. 5.