Kennedy Expected To Return This Week
Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins
Nov 22, 11:55 AM | Hype this story!
The Penguins finally seem to be getting healthy, as yet another player is expected to return to the lineup.
According to the FSN Pittsburgh game broadcast last night and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, forward Tyler Kennedy, out since October 27, is expected to make his return to action this week.
“It’s taking longer than I thought,” he said to Dave Molinari of the PG. “I just have to stay focused and stay positive. I thought it would go away, and it ended up not going away. It’s a learning experience, for sure.”
In recent games, lines have been jumbled to put the best talent on the top line — something that worked initially, but has since grown stagnant.
With Kennedy’s return, coach Dan Bylsma will have the option of reuniting him with center Jordan Staal and left winger Matt Cooke.
The trio formed one of the best third lines in the NHL late last year and carried their success to this season.
He’ll also have the opportunity to reconfigure his lines to more similarly resemble those that helped the team win the Stanley Cup last spring.
| Injured | Healthy |
| Fedotenko – Crosby – Malkin Dupuis – Staal – Guerin Cooke – Adams – Talbot Bourque – Rupp – Godard |
Dupuis – Crosby – Guerin Fedotenko – Malkin – Talbot Cooke – Staal – Kennedy Rupp – Adams – Godard |
Once Kennedy returns, Chris Kunitz will be the final forward on the shelf. He is expected to return sometime between November 28 and December 5.
A full injury chart can be found here.
Comments
Pens1967
Nov 22, 02:28 PM
I think the Pens are now healthy enough at forward that TK doesn’t need to rush back into the line up. If he’s not 100%, he shouldn’t play because groin/hamstring injuries can just keep recurring if you keep playing on it.
Bobby
Nov 22, 06:41 PM
Pens1967 – couldn’t agree more. No need to jeopardize anything. But it is great to see the infusion of energy when guys like TK and Max jump back into the lineup.
DaBich
Nov 23, 08:44 AM
Does this mean mini-Bourque will be sent down???? Please!
Pens1967
Nov 23, 09:16 AM
Dabs, probably not. Mini-Borque will likely stay as the 13th forward.
Matt Bodenschatz
Nov 23, 10:30 AM
@Dabich & Pens, for now, I think Bourque sticks around as the 13th forward. There’s no reason to risk losing him on waivers with Kunitz still on IR.
However, once Kunitz returns, Bourque no longer is the 13th forward, but rather the 14th, and with the Pens pressing up against the salary cap, it’s not unrealistic to think he’ll get waived, if only to save cap space. Godard will serve as the 13th when everyone is healthy, and guys like Letestu, Johnson, Jeffrey, and others would serve as better injury replacements than Bourque.
So, to make a long comment short, I don’t think Bourque will be waived when Kennedy returns, but barring further injury problems, I do think he’ll be waived once Kunitz returns.
Pens1967
Nov 23, 08:14 PM
HCDB must read F-F because Kennedy won’t be back until after Thanksgiving at the earliest. :)
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