Jordan Staal is recovering from his second foot surgery in as many months, reports Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. After getting injured in a first round series with the Ottawa Senators, the lanky center came back from surgery sooner than just about anyone else expected during the Penguins’ second round series with the Montreal Canadiens.
Penguins center Jordan Staal, who came back to play in the second round of the playoffs six days after surgery to repair a sliced tendon on the top of his right foot, had a second surgery about three weeks ago.
“I just had a minor procedure just to kind of help it move along quicker and heal faster,” Staal said during a media availability today at the Palms Casino Resort, site of Wednesday’s NHL Awards show. He is a finalist for the Selke Award, which goes to the top defensive forward.
It’s unclear if Staal has the offensive instincts to live up to his No. 2 draft position, but he’s still an asset to Pittsburgh. He might not score like Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, but Jordan Staal allows the team to rank among the league’s deepest at center.
Staal said that he expects to be in crutches/a “boot” for about three more weeks and then will need some rehab afterward. From that estimate, it sounds like he won’t miss training camp but we’ll let you know if his status changes.