Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma said practice that x-rays on Jordan Staal’s fractured hand did not reveal a new broken bone.
“He’s scheduled for another X-ray next week. He’ll keep rehabbing on his current course, ” Bylsma said after practice.
Bylsma said Staal had calcification in the bone.
Read what you want into this but the team never denied the report for several hours after we published the report just after midnight. It was not until Dan Bylsma was able to meet with the communications team and GM Ray Shero so everyone would be on the same page.
Sources close to the situation claim that a small “crack”/broken bone was revealed in Jordan Staal’s hand following an X-ray this week. I am still confirming my previous report and that Staal has indeed suffered a setback.
Staal has not been on the ice for a few days but continues to get physical therapy outside of the Penguins facility.
Here’s the Trib’s Rob Rossi on the situation, courtesy of his chipped ice blog:
“Draw your own conclusions, but I couldn’t get anybody to DENY the report until Bylsma addressed i”t with local reporters after practice. In five years covering this team, if a report any report has been inaccurate I’ve been informed of that inaccuracy within an hour (at the latest). This report was up for several hours before Bylsma addressed it.”
“Two points about injuries: 1) Neither Bylsma nor GM RAY SHERO makes habit of addressing them before all involved parties are on the same page about the message that will be presented to the media/public; 2) NHL teams are not obligated to provide ANY information about players other than to acknowledge the status for the next game.”
“Bylsma provided a specifically detailed explanation about Staal’s status. Though NHL teams are famous for not being completely upfront about players’ injuries, I can’t see how intentionally misleading the media/public about Staal’s status would benefit the Penguins in this particular case.”
–“Bylsma had said Wednesday that Staal was “not close” to playing. He added that Staal only recently started the process of restoring regular motion to the hand, which Bylsma said was “not immobilized.”
“Staal has been working individual practice sessions for weeks. Only recently was he spotted wearing a glove on the injured right hand, and his stick work has been limited. I’ve not seen him on the ice since Tuesday, but that does not mean he hasn’t been on the ice – just not when the media has had access to the Penguins.”