With Thanksgiving Day less than a week away, the Pittsburgh Penguins have many things to be thankful for - not the least of which was an encouraging update on injured defenseman Rob Scuderi.
Scuderi suffered a broken ankle on October 26th in Toronto and the team was informed at the time that the prognosis was that the All Star blue liner would be absent for six to eight weeks barring setbacks - so the news that Scuderi's rehabilitation is right on schedule for a Christmastime return is music to their ears.
A Boston College product, Scuderi spent 10 years in the Penguins' organization before bolting for the Los Angeles Kings in free agency when the Penguins couldn't afford to sign him with their salary cap restrictions - but he returned to the Penguins this summer as a free agent, the 6' 1", 220 pound 34 year old signing a four-year, $13 Million contract.
“Rob was three weeks post surgery (Wednesday),” coach Dan Bylsma said. “He's rehabbing at a moderate rate right now. Hopefully in the next seven days or so, he'll move on to a little more rehab as he progresses.”
Scuderi is considered a "stay at home" defenseman, meaning that he is generally a physical, defensive minded player who is an integral part of the Penguins' penalty kill units and is known to be an effective neutralizer of the opponents' best offensive weapons.
As a result of his playing style, Scuderi has just seven goals and 80 assists in his professional career but has averaged close to 20 minutes of ice time per game.
Though the loss of Scuderi was considered a major blow to the Penguins' defense, the team has persevered nevertheless, compiling a record of 15-8-0, good for first place in the Metropolitan Division with 30 points, which also puts them in a tie with the Boston Bruins for best record in the Eastern Conference.
Photo Credit - USATSI
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