UPDATE: Staal’s Recovery From Foot Surgery Stalls…

(Matt Freed/Post Gazette)

There has been speculation running rampant regarding a possible setback in the the healing process of Jordan Staal’s surgically repaired foot and that speculation was confirmed by the team this afternoon.

Jordan Staal, who was injured during the Penguins’ second round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens when Habs defenseman PK Subban’s skate blade severed a tendon in his foot, will miss the start of training camp. Though he was able to return to the line-up just six days after having the surgery he still had recovering to do. That recovery has been knocked off course by an infection in the area.

The infection is under control, but it will require Staal to miss the beginning of the Penguins training camp later this month. The setback is not expected to impact his season at all.

“The fact that Jordan came back and played with this injury during the playoffs is a testament to his toughness and competitiveness,” Penguins general manager Ray Shero said. “He has experienced some setbacks due to infection, but is now on the road to recovery. We believe he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season in October.”

The Penguins had been toying with the idea of using Jordan Staal along with Evgeni Malkin on the team’s second line this season and that is probably still the plan. However, this infection is the kind of thing that could open the door for a young player during training camp. Staal’s minutes will be available for another player to utilize in opening management’s eyes.

Stay tuned for more in the situation as we move towards training camp…

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Just wanted to add in some additional info from Double R’s article on the Staal situation…

Here are some comments from Staal from Rob Rossi’s article…

That quick comeback “wasn’t really a factor” in an offseason setback that will keep him from taking the ice when Penguins training camp opens Sept. 17.

“It wasn’t really what the doctor ordered,” Staal said today, “but I haven’t been told it affected this.”

The Penguins made their worst-kept secret official today: Staal will not be ready for camp, but general manager Ray Shero said in a statement he believes “(Staal) will be ready for the start of the regular season.”

The regular season opens for the Penguins on Oct. 7 against the Philadelphia Flyers at Consol Energy Center.

Staal identified the halfway point of training camp as his goal for “being able to really get at” training for the season, one he was expected to open as the second-line center with fellow pivot Evgeni Malkin on the wing.

“Hopefully, if everything works out, I’ll be on the ice late next week — but that’s still in question,” Staal said. “I’ve done some pretty good workouts recently, not jumping around or anything like that, but a lot of good weights.”

Read the full article here.

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