Pittsburgh Penguins superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will miss the start of training camp.
The team announced Thursday morning that both players suffered injuries while preparing for camp in the off-season.
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The exact injuries are unknown at this time, but Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said the decision to keep them out of camp is a precaution.
Crosby dealt with a right wrist injury that bothered him for much of the 2013-14 campaign, but elected not to undergo surgery. The Cole Harbour, N.S., native told reporters on an NHLPA players media tour earlier this month that his wrist was feeling fine.
Penguins head coach Mike Johnston told reporters Thursday he doesn’t expect Crosby or Malkin to miss much time. Johnston also added that Crosby’s ailment isn’t related to the wrist that bothered him.
“We’ll see over the next few days, I don’t expect any of them to be long,” Johnston said. “But when the trainers and the doctors inform us at this time of the year that we better be cautious with a few people, then we’re going to be cautious.”
Crosby registered 36 goals, 68 assists for a league-leading 104 points in 80 games last season, which resulted in his second Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s MVP.
Meanwhile, Malkin put up 23 goals, 49 assists for 72 points in just 60 games. The Russian missed a number of games with a lower-body injury and sat out the final 11 games of the regular season dealing with a foot injury.
In other Penguins news, sophomore defenceman Olli Maatta will take part in practice, but will only be allowed to participate in limited contact drills. The Finnish blueliner underwent shoulder surgery in May. Maatta had a solid rookie campaign with 29 points in 78 games. Rookie defenceman Derrick Pouliot, who also had shoulder surgery in May, is in a similar situation to Maatta; he will skate in the mornings, but not take part in full drills.
Also, veteran forward Pascal Dupuis will wear a red limited contact jersey as he works his way back from knee surgery he underwent in February.
“It feels great. The timeline for recovery, the ligament just needs to heal a little more,” Dupuis told reports of his knee. “I have been on the ice. I have skated quite a bit, so hockey-wise I think I’m ready. They’re trying to avoid me already. I’m trying to bump into them to see how it feels, so they’ll see the red jersey coming up. If I’m wearing it, it’s for a reason (but) if you asked me, I’d be wearing a black jersey and bumping into everybody.”
