Follow me on twitter Follow @GunnerStaal
The dog days of summer have arrived. Here are some news and notes for today.
Sidney Crosby will not be moving forward with surgery for his wrist. He will be staying the course with his planned rehab. This should be a non issue come training camp. However, a source informed me that that the wrist injury was not the only ailment that Crosby was suffering from in the playoffs. Crosby also had a shoulder injury and much like the wrist injury it does not appear that surgery is on the table. Also like the wrist injury this news has been kept close to the vest.
It will be a treat to watch Crosby compete in the playoffs without lingering issues whenever that finally happens again.
In other injury related news Pascal Dupuis returned to the ice today after the prospect camp finished up.
It’s a beautiful sight. Welcome back to the ice Pascal Dupuis! Full story → http://t.co/VgcjspmkSJ pic.twitter.com/nyWfO6lzNZ
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 16, 2014
I have no reservations about Dupuis coming back from this injury. Players are able to return from ACL related injuries much better than in the past and when you combine the fact that Dupuis keeps himself in optimal condition and he doesn't have to carry around a huge frame it makes recovery much easier. Getting Pascal Dupuis back in the lineup is a huge plus for the Penguins, regardless of where he slots into the lineup.
Rick Tocchet must feel at home with his new role as Assistant Coach, here he is beating up on the prospects at camp (courtesy of Penguins instagram )
As for the Kris Letang rumors, I just don't see a logical reason for trading him. Paul Martin and Christian Ehrhoff are currently both one year away from unrestricted free agency. Where would the Penguins be if they entered 2015-16 without those three players?
Letang needs to list 15 teams before each season as part of his no trade clause. Him submitting the list is not a sign of anything, it is part of his contract.
Look for Letang to have a really nice bounce back season under Mike Johnston. With the elimination of the flat footed stretch pass Letang should have better support on the breakout which should lead to less puck management errors.
Thanks for reading!