Justin Brazeau has gone more than a month since recording a point.

And for good reason.

The Pittsburgh Penguins power forward missed all of November and the first few days of December due to an undisclosed injury.

Activated from injured reserve on Sunday, he rejoined the lineup for a 3-2 road shootout loss to the Dallas Stars. Opening the contest in his typical deployment on the right wing of the second line, he was held without a point on one shot while logging 14:51 of ice time on 21 shifts (including 1:06 on the power play).

Having missed 14 games due to the ailment, getting back on the ice was clearly a welcome development for Brazeau, particularly considering he had generated 12 points (six goals, six assists) in his first 12 games of the season before the injury.

“Especially when it’s your first good start (of his career), it’s not ideal,” Brazeau said in Cranberry on Wednesday. “Things happen. It’s the way you bounce back. I’m feeling good right now. Had a good last couple of weeks being able to get back into the gym and get that strength back. I feel pretty good health-wise. Just trying to build on what I had.”

As Brazeau suggested, he hasn’t enjoyed much in the way of sustained production to open any season. In his third NHL campaign, the undrafted 27-year-old established modest career highs last season with 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) over 76 games split between the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild.

This past offseason, Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas decided to sign Brazeau to a low-risk two-year deal with a frugal salary cap hit of $1.5 million.

Dubas’ faith in Brazeau wasn’t necessarily rooted in a solid 11-goal season in 2024-25.

During Dubas’ previous gig as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, that organization signed Brazeau to an American Hockey League contract to skate for the Toronto Marlies. And before that, Dubas watched Brazeau as a youth.

“When I first signed in Toronto, he said he remembered watching me play midget hockey back home in the (former Great North Midget Hockey League in Ontario), which for me is pretty cool,” said Brazeau, a native of New Liskeard, Ontario. “Because not too many people, especially this high up (in the NHL), have ever really watched anybody play in that league. He’s kind of seen my game my entire life.

“He knows that I’m not just one thing. He sees that I can be more.”

That optimism was largely manifested by Brazeau’s potent production to open 2025-26. Stationed on the right wing of a line with superstar center Evgeni Malkin (6-foot-5, 213 pounds) and fellow newcomer Anthony Mantha (6-5, 240), Brazeau (6-6, 232) helped form a big trio that put up big numbers.

In fact, Malkin set up Brazeau for the team’s first goal of the season in a 3-0 road win against the New York Rangers on Oct. 7.

Scored by Justin Brazeau with 00:32 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Evgeni Malkin.

New York: 0Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsNYR #NYR #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/LO7jq7sCSq

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 8, 2025

“He plays a hard and simple game,” Penguins forward Bryan Rust said of Brazeau. “Makes plays below the net. He also has extremely good hands. Add that combination of the size and the skill and a willingness to go to the net, you’re probably going to score a lot of goals.”

Brazeau acknowledges that being on a line with Malkin clearly provides benefits. But at the same time, he isn’t exactly a passenger on the line.

“That obviously helps a lot anytime you have (a linemate) like that,” Brazeau said. “Mostly too, just confidence. I didn’t have the end of the year last (season) that I wanted. Especially early on (this season), there were stretches there where I was able to really get to my game. I knew I could be this kind of player. Obviously, coming into the year, I wouldn’t have said I would have been a point-per-game guy. But I think just the belief that I could play and be a good player and not just kind of a fourth-line guy.

“I believed in myself like that. I’ve just got to keep building on it and keep working.”

Brazeau doesn’t have very far to go in order to set new career highs for offense. But those tabulations aren’t what he is focused on as he gets back up to speed following such a long respite.

“I don’t really set goals in terms of points and that,” Brazeau said. “It’s more about how I feel. Coming in, my expectation was to just play with as much confidence as I could. Obviously, I was told I was going to get a chance to play with guys like (Malkin). You just have to do your best to read off them and try to make their life as easy as possible because they’re the guys you want to have the puck on their stick.

“I just kind of came with that mindset of get to my game, do the best I can, help those guys out. And if the points come, they come. If they don’t, they don’t. You can get points and not play very well. I care more about playing well and if the points come, great. If they don’t, just keep doing the right things.”

Note: The Penguins canceled a scheduled practice session Monday.

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