MONTREAL -- Casey DeSmith entered training camp as the odds-on favorite to be Matt Murray's backup in 2019-20.
Tristan Jarry wrested that position away from him during the preseason, however, and eventually supplanted Murray as the Penguins' go-to goalie.
DeSmith finally was scheduled to return to the NHL today, because the Penguins left Jarry at home rather than have him come to Montreal simply to back up Murray, who is scheduled to start against the Canadiens at the Bell Centre at 7:08 p.m.
Trouble is, DeSmith, who is with the Penguins' American Hockey League franchise in Wilkes-Barre, lost his passport, and thus could not enter Canada.
Consequently, he will remain with the minor-league team and Emil Larmi, who has been with the Penguins' ECHL affiliate in Wheeling, will travel to Montreal to play behind Murray this evening.
"It's unfortunate," Mike Sullivan said a team meeting at the Bell Centre today. "It was an honest mistake. Casey has had a lot going on in his life since last summer. He got married, he moved into a new house, he ends up going to Wilkes-Barre. There was a lot of change in some of his residences.
"He misplaced his passport. ... That wasn't something that we expected, but we have to deal with it."
If there is any good news for DeSmith, who had been removed from the major-league roster by mid-afternoon, it's that the gaffe won't cost him any salary. His contract, which is worth $1 million this season, is a one-way deal, so it pays the same regardless of where he is playing.
How, as astute player agent Allan Walsh (some might remember him as the representative for Marc-Andre Fleury and Pascal Dupuis, among many others) was quick to point out, being recalled meant that 14 percent of DeSmith's earnings for the time he was on the NHL roster will be held in escrow, per the league's collective bargaining agreement.
Larmi, 23, is 3-1, with a 1.51 goals-against average with the Nailers and a 1-2-2 mark in five games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
The plan was for Larmi, who had to fly from Pittsburgh to Chicago to Montreal, to arrive here in the afternoon.
The Penguins also have recalled forward Thomas Di Pauli from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and placed left winger Jake Guentzel and defenseman Justin Schultz on injured reserve.
The Schultz move is retroactive to Dec. 17, so he would be eligible to return whenever he gets medical clearance, which is not expected anytime soon.
Also today:
•Di Pauli will make his NHL debut against the Canadiens, filling in for Sam Lafferty, who is ill. "I got the call yesterday," DiPauli said today. "Obviously, that's always something you dream about getting. All the hard work finally pays off." Di Pauli has six goals and six assists in 22 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. "He brings a lot of speed," Sullivan said. "He brings a lot of energy. He's good on the forecheck. He's a pesky player. He's hard to play against. He's got decent awareness, defensively." Di Pauli grew up in Italy before coming to North America. "That's the reason we moved to the U.S., to pursue this dream," he said.
• The Penguins won't have to contend with Ilya Kovalchuk, who signed with the Canadiens as a free agent Friday but won't be in the lineup tonight because of a visa issue. And the Penguins probably won't miss him. "He's obviously a dangerous offensive threat," Bryan Rust said. "He's a guy who can make a lot of plays, offensively, and can really shoot the puck."
• Although the Penguins have not made public their line combinations yet, Alex Galchenyuk, who broke into the NHL with Montreal, figures to get another chance to establish his credentials as a top-six forward this evening. Galchenyuk, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, had goals in consecutive games Dec. 21 and 27, but failed to score in either of the past two. "There's still half the season left," he said. "It's a big second half for me."
• Montreal is just 18-17-6, but made a positive impression on the Penguins during a 4-1 victory at PPG Paints Arena Dec. 10. "They're a fast detailed team that plays hard, plays with a lot of aggression," Ruhwedel said. "It's something that we'll have to be ready for."
• Jarry stayed in Pittsburgh because he is scheduled to start against Florida when the Panthers visit PPG Paints Arena Sunday at 5:08 p.m.
