Since I took over this blog from John Toperzer in June of 2013 I have covered a player having a stroke, a player having cancer, and two blood clots (three if you count Dupuis’ initial blood clot prior to knee surgery). The four players who have suffered from these ailments are all top level athletes and in peak physical condition.

The amount of extreme medical issues that the Penguins have dealt with is as much unfortunate as it is strange.

The Penguins have had to make a regular habit of holding press conferences that discuss serious medical issues stemming all the way back to the Crosby concussion saga.

I haven’t heard many people say that the Dupuis news is good news, but I believe it is. This isn’t about hockey, it is about a family man and his personal health. This is good news because the Penguins medical staff was able to find the clot in the early stages and avoid what could have been an absolutely tragic event.

So far each of the Penguins players to suffer from these serious ailments have been able to make a full recovery. I expect Pascal Dupuis to do the same with his current medical condition. I’m not sure what that means for his hockey career, I’m not sure I care about that part of it.

Pascal Dupuis is loved by his family, teammates, coaches, front office, media, and fans. He is an all-time Penguins personality.

I think I speak for the entire Hockeybuzz community when I say we all wish Pascal Dupuis the best in his recovery.

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There is obviously a big hole in the Penguins lineup with Pascal Dupuis. We all saw how damning his absence was when he missed the last half of the 2013-14 season. Even though I felt the optimal lineup for the Penguins would eventually have Dupuis on the third line, there is no mistaking that he is more than capable of playing in the top six for extended periods of time (full season in fact). You can’t replace a guy like him that can be played anywhere throughout the lineup.

That doesn't mean the Penguins won’t try to replace him. One huge benefit that Jim Rutherford has is that the Penguins have won 10 out of their last 11 games. They aren’t in any danger in the standings, they don’t need to panic at all. Rutherford can sit back and try to find the best deal for his club.

Seeing as though it is still very early in the season there are still so many moving parts. You still have teams that believe they are in the playoff hunt, eventually some of them will fall out of it. Since teams don’t know if they want to be sellers yet it makes it tough to predict which teams Rutherford will target in his effort to try and land a new winger.

The Penguins have some wiggle room with their cap space and a plethora of defense prospects. They have the motivation and the means to swing a deal. The only question is when.

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