Number 59 was on the ice practicing for the first time with his Penguins teammates yesterday.
Jake Guentzel wore a regular jersey, not a non-contact jersey, for the workout in Cranberry, and said he feels great after his ankle surgery in July. He showed no signs of the injury and skated fluidly. Coach Mike Sullivan was happy to see Guentzel back at practice. He said his return would be felt more than just on the Penguins’ top line, where he plays on Sidney Crosby’s left wing.
Guentzel would not say if his return will be sooner than the original projection of five games into the season. He’ll just take it a day at a time.
Sullivan says this year’s Penguins roster is speedier than its been in recent seasons, and they’re not just faster on their skates, but in the way they use their minds.
With the season starting on Tuesday, Sullivan says decision time is coming soon on a final roster, and he is particularly looking for certain qualities to fill out the bottom six forwards.
Defenseman P.O. Joseph missed practice yesterday with an undisclosed injury. Sullivan said he will be day-to-day.
The Penguins recalled forward Rem Pitlick and Avery Hayes and defenseman Xavier Ouellet and Ty Smith from Wilke-Barre/Scranton. Smith surprisingly cleared waivers on Friday.
The next-to-last preseason game is tonight at PPG Paints Arena against Detroit. The final game will be at Buffalo on Friday.
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