What It Means:

"It will be close," Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe noted in regards to Kessel's status for the beginning of the season. The 28-year-old forward had a procedure done on his hand back in July following Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup victory. Losing a player of his caliber would sting any team, but the Penguins have found ways to remain competitive when the injury bug bit in the past.

Kessel tallied 26 goals and 33 assists in the regular season, his first in Pittsburgh. His 54.4 Corsi For Percentage was a career-best clip, while his 2.3 Realtive Corsi For Percentage at Even Strength was well above his 0.8 career average. He exploded for 10 goals and 22 points in 24 games during the Stanley Cup run in the postseason.