Having gone the entire summer without a contract, UFA forward Dustin Penner will probably have to accept a training camp invite this fall in order to continue his NHL career.
One team that doesn’t sound interested in extending said invite? Philadelphia.
Despite rumors, it looks like the Flyers will not be offering training camp tryouts to free agent forwards Dustin Penner and Ryan Malone. The latter reportedly pleaded no contest last week on a DUI charge and agreed to a “pretrial diversion program” on charges of cocaine possession earlier this summer. It would be rather shocking to see any NHL club take a flier on him.
When Hextall was told about the Penner rumor specifically he said, “I haven’t heard that.”
Penner, 31, split last season between Anaheim and Washington with mixed results. He had some good stretches with the Ducks -- including one where he netted 19 points in 18 games -- but faded as the trade deadline approached, and failed to do much after his arrival in Washington. Penner had just one goal and three points in 18 games with the Caps, and was allowed to walk in free agency.
Two-time Stanley Cup winner and four-time 20-goal scorer, Penner has the resume to potentially land a gig this fall... but his issues with weight and conditioning are well-documented, and could prevent him from catching on for a 10th NHL campaign.