Penguins/NHL
Sergei Gonchar who I reported two weeks ago was three weeks ahead of schedule from his early March target date, will see doctor Charles Burke on Wednesday and is expected to receive clearance to return to the lineup.
Gonchar will not be in the lineup on Wednesday but is less than 10 days away from returning, sources have confirmed to Inside Pittsburgh Sports. I’m still sticking to my February 19th prediction from a few weeks ago but I would not be surprised if Gonchar returned before the 19th.
Gonchar has picked up his regiment in the past week and is still experiencing some pain in his shoulder but that was expected.
Based on what I’ve seen in practice, Gonchar’s wrist shot and slap shot don’t seem to have lost too much velocity compared to last year. That is an area of concern due to the surgery and his age. Gonchar has worked primarily the past couple weeks on his quick release.
