The Penguins are about to get Justin Schultz back in their lineup. His expected defense partner, however, won’t be around.



Olli Maatta was placed on injured reserve earlier on Tuesday after a hit from Philadelphia’s Phil Varone knocked him out of action in the first period against the Flyers. Multiple sources have confirmed to me that Maatta is dealing with a fairly severe shoulder separation and is expected to miss at least one month.



The Penguins, however, are hopeful that the injury will not require surgery and that he will return before the conclusion of the regular season.



Goal prevention has been an issue all season for the Penguins, and Maatta remains one of their more valuable defensive players. His offensive numbers — one goal and 13 points in 55 games — are down a bit from his usual levels, but his overall defensive work has been pretty solid following a slow start.



In six NHL seasons, Maatta has amassed 106 points...