Sports

Center Jordan Staal proved a fast healer in May, missing only two games after surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right foot.

He was adamant Thursday that his quick return "wasn't really a factor" in an offseason setback that will keep him from being on the ice when the Penguins open training camp Sept. 17.

"It wasn't really what the doctor ordered," Staal said, "but I haven't been told it affected this."

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

The season opens Oct. 7 against Philadelphia at Consol Energy Center. Coach Dan Bylsma pledged "not to rush Staal ... for the grind of camp."

Staal has identified the halfway point of training camp as his goal for "being able to really get at" training for the season — which he was expected to open as the second-line center, with fellow pivot Evgeni Malkin to his right and Matt Cooke on his left.

"We want to take opportunity when we have it for Jordan to train like summertime, even if that is two weeks left in training camp," Bylsma said. "But we want to do absolutely the right thing and set reasonable goals to stay on course."

Staal cited late next week as a possible return to the ice for light skating but admitted "that's still in question." He has upped his workout frequency and intensity in the past 10 days but only with weights — "not jumping around or anything like that."

A finalist for the Selke Trophy last season as the NHL's top defensive forward, Staal acknowledged he has been unable to train consistently during the offseason. He has only skated once — about a week after a second surgery in June — and then only briefly.

He described his foot after that session as "big and red and pretty swollen." He required weeks in a walking boot and on crutches.

Staal was injured April 30 during Game 1 of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs when his right skate boot was stepped on by Montreal defenseman PK Subban. He had surgery the next morning and was expected to miss six weeks.

He returned to play the final four games of that series, scoring a goal in the Game 7 loss that closed Mellon Arena for hockey.

Two weeks later, Staal had a second procedure — not on the tendon but "to clean some stuff up."

The weeks since have proved frustrating for a player who before last postseason had never missed an NHL game because of injury or illness — a player looking forward to a consistent pairing with Malkin for the first time since four years ago.

"There's been a lot of talking with people about what I can and can't do, and that's the most frustrating part," he said. "You want to go get ready, and I haven't been able to do it. I've only had a few workouts here and there over the summer. It's been off and on the whole summer, and that's been really tough."

• Most Read
• Most E-mailed
• Latest News