Penguins/NHL
Jordan Staal’s injured foot has not responded well to treatment and the 6-foot-4, 220-pound forward will now be sidelined for a longer period than first believed.
Staal is expected to miss the start of the regular season following a procedure this week to cure an infection in his foot, the team announced today.
Staal’s recovery period is expected to be 5-6 weeks. The Penguins open the regular season Oct. 7 against Philadelphia.
Staal originally suffered a lacerated tendon in his foot in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Montreal. The tendon was repaired by off-season surgery.
“Jordan developed a post-op infection in his foot, and it can require several procedures to ensure that all infected tissues are removed,” said Dr. Charles Burke, the Penguins’ team physician.
“Jordan was bothered by a localized recurrent infection in the tissue area near the tendon repair. This has required treatment with both antibiotics and several repeat debridements (clean-outs) to remove infected tissue. We are confident the situation has been resolved.”
The Penguins report to training camp Friday and hit the ice for their first practice session Saturday at CONSOL Energy Center.
“The most important thing for us now is that the infection has been addressed and Jordan is on the road to recovery,” said Penguins general manager Ray Shero. “While we know he is disappointed that he will miss the start of the season, he will now be able to make a full recovery and get back on the ice early in the season.”
