Whether it is the first day of training camp or a random Tuesday in January, Mike Sullivan when questioned about tough lineup choices likes to say you need more than 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies to go the distance.
It may take a village to do it in this summer's Stanley Cup playoffs, with an extra play-in round, a condensed schedule and the uncertainty of a pandemic.
Given the potential risk of contracting COVID-19 off the ice and increased odds for injury on it as players must quickly ramp up to peak performance level, a team's depth and versatility will be even more important than playoffs past.
Seven days into camp, the Penguins are already staring down that reality.
Sidney Crosby did not practice Sunday in Cranberry, a day after the star Penguins center walked out of a team scrimmage with an apparent injury. Nine others were still being held out of practice due to potential exposure to COVID-19.
That left Sullivan and the Penguins without 10 of the 34 players on their camp roster. They had just 12 forwards Sunday, with Game 1 of their qualifying round series against the Montreal Canadiens now less than two weeks away.
Once again, these Penguins would have to make do with what they've got.
"It's something that we've done all this year," Brian Dumoulin said. "A lot of the times, you don't even have time to think about it, just with the busy schedule. I think it's going to be the same this time, whether a guy gets injured or someone gets sick. It's important for us to stay focused and maintain our direction."
The long list of players who missed chunks of this season include a pair of All-Star centers, a 40-goal scorer and four of their top six defensemen. Heck, they even lost two dudes to season-ending surgery this spring, when the players were stuck at home chasing after their children and building puzzles.
So it was wise to show up in Pittsburgh prepared for pretty much anything.
Assistant coach Mark Recchi said the coaching staff had multiple plans for camp based on the number of skaters at their disposal. Most of the players being held out due to the COVID-19 scare are prospects and minor leaguers who would likely be peppering reserve goalies on the other sheet of practice ice anyway.
"It didn't really change a whole lot," Recchi said of absences affecting camp.
But NHLers Patric Hornqvist and Juuso Riikola are among those nine. If and when they become available, it's fair to wonder about their readiness to play.
Throw in whatever Crosby's dealing with, and the depth chart is thinning out.
Crosby left Saturday's scrimmage midway through the second of two 25-minute periods. He skated off the ice, grabbed his sticks and walked toward the locker room at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. He did not return to the ice.
Sullivan, in accordance with the NHL's new injury and illness policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, said after Saturday's scrimmage that he was "not permitted to comment" on why his captain suddenly left practice. Conor Sheary, Crosby's linemate, speculated Saturday that it was "just a maintenance thing."
A day later, Recchi apologized for politely declining comment on Crosby.
The hope in the building over the weekend was he wouldn't be out long.
With Crosby not practicing Sunday, Evan Rodrigues got an opportunity to skate in Crosby's place on the top line with Jake Guentzel and Sheary. Rodrigues had been playing right wing on the third line during the first few days of camp.
The Penguins acquired Rodrigues at the trade deadline with this sort of situation in mind. No, they didn't expect him to produce like a Hall of Famer. But during his five seasons in Buffalo, Rodrigues was trusted to fill a number or roles.
Rodrigues, who made it to the NHL despite going undrafted, skated at each of the three forwards spots there. He played on all four forward lines, including lining up as the No. 1 center in a game against the Penguins last season when Sabres star Jack Eichel was injured. He killed penalties and got power-play time.
"I pride myself on being able to play all three positions and up and down the lineup," Rodrigues said. "Versatility is something that I'm bringing to the table and hopefully it will help out this team. Anything I can do to help us win games and take us to the ultimate goal, winning a Stanley Cup, I'm willing to do."
The 26-year-old has played seven games for Pittsburgh and stood out in the final two. He scored his first goal in the March 10 win in New Jersey. Two days later, the season came to a halt. After a long layoff, Rodrigues thinks the return-to-play process has been beneficial, giving him more time to get comfortable.
"I think coming back from our hiatus, it was almost like starting fresh. It's almost like a second season here," Rodrigues said. "It's been good to be around the guys a lot. ... It's made the transition to being part of this team a lot easier."
Circumstances have also created an opening for another depth forward in rookie Sam Lafferty. He looked to be, at best, the 15th guy on the organizational depth chart when the Penguins brought in Rodrigues, Sheary and Patrick Marleau at the trade deadline. Now, he's skating on the third line in camp.
Lafferty was one of the standouts in Saturday's scrimmage, scoring once and setting up Guentzel on a 2-on-1 while filling in for Crosby on the top line. He showed more decisiveness, twice blowing by smaller defenders on the rush.
"He plays a power game," Sullivan said Saturday. "He's physical, he's strong on pucks and he's using his speed to challenge defensemen wide or to force turnovers by closing on defensemen and making it hard on their breakouts."
The absences of Crosby and Hornqvist have had a trickle-down effect on special teams, too. Those two are power-play regulars, buzzing around the crease.
During Sunday's special-teams drills, Sullivan started with two defensemen, Kris Letang and Justin Schultz, on the power play. He soon subbed in Jason Zucker for Schultz, giving the winger his first shifts with the top unit in this camp.
Two of Zucker's six goals in 15 games since coming over from the Minnesota Wild came on the power play. He was on the second unit when the season halted.
"There's no question he's got the skill set," Recchi said. "He's got a great release (on his shot). But when you have hockey sense ... he can play net-front, he can play the pocket, he can play on the flanks, anywhere you really need him."
Sunday, Zucker was mostly working in Crosby's spot just off the right post.
The Penguins are scheduled to play another scrimmage Monday in Cranberry.
