The Pittsburgh Penguins depth will be tested to start the 2015-16 NHL season. A team that struggled to find secondary scoring last year will be without one of its most important depth forwards at the outset of this season, as Pascal Dupuis is now out the next 4-5 weeks, the Penguins announced on Tuesday. A season after missing all but 16 regular season games due to complications associated with blood clots, Dupuis will now be unavailable for Pittsburgh for the immediate future.
Dupuis, 36, is suffering from an undisclosed lower-body injury, though Bob McKenzie of TSN and Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette both report that his latest health concern is not blood clot related.
Still, as the Penguins set to kick off their 2015-16 season against the Dallas Stars on Thursday, concerns over Dupuis' long-term health and availability have got to be swirling in the Pittsburgh front office. Dupuis penned a heart-breaking piece for The Players Tribune website this offseason, detailing his blood clot diagnosis and attempts to return to the ice.
Rapidly approaching his 40th birthday and set to enter his 15th season in the NHL, Dupuis' increasing fragility does not seem to bode well for his NHL future. And considering his spot in the Penguins lineup was likely already in question thanks to the strong play of rookie Daniel Sprong and the arrival of Phil Kessel, Dupuis may not be long for this Pittsburgh team.
