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First skate back and Jake Guentzel speaks |
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It isn’t training camp, but we do have Penguins skating in Pittsburgh. Some of the players got together and skated yesterday for the first time in a long time.
Nothing too intensive. We are still in the beginning stages. My understanding is the team will have different player rotations with a max of six players at a time right now based on the phase we’re at. These skates will be an opportunity for the players to get their legs and their hands going. Battle drills and scrimmaging will have to wait for now.
The most notable thing from practice was Jake Guentzel’s return to the ice. There has been a lot of talk about how the Penguins were one of the teams most negatively impacted by the new playoff format, but I think they benefited greatly because their best winger will more than likely be available. Jake Guentzel changes the entire dynamic of the roster depth and the ability to produce offense at 5v5. Whatever slight the Penguins got drawing Montreal is easily offset by Guentzel’
"I'm not really sure what would have happened if the season had been played out (in normal time" Guentzel said on a video conference call with the Pittsburgh media Wednesday. "But if I can get rehabbed and feeling good, it'd be nice to get back playing. I'm just taking it day by day. We'll see where it goes."
Rehabbing the shoulder through the pandemic limited Guentzel’s resources. Now that he is back in Pittsburgh he has more available for the final stretch of his rehab.
"The first couple of months, I was able to rehab at the rink," Guentzel said. "During this pandemic, I had to adjust to my apartment and house. It was definitely different. Being back in Pittsburgh, it's nice to be able to go in and have a therapist work and do the little things I couldn't do if I was in my house. That's been a positive."
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