The Pittsburgh Penguins are hopeful to learn by the end of the month if forward Pascal Dupuis can continue his NHL career after being sidelined with a blood clot this season, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday.
Dupuis did not play after being diagnosed with a clot in his lung Nov. 19.
"Certainly, by July 1, we need to have an idea of whether he's going to be able to play, or play part of a season, or how that lays out, so we can do our planning for our team," general manager Jim Rutherford told the newspaper.
Dupuis, who turned 36 in April, requires medication to prevent clots from returning.
"On May 20, they started doing testing, checking to see where the blood clot was, or if it was there, all these things," Rutherford said. "The next step is, there are certain medications you can go on that may allow you to play, or may not allow you to play.
"That's the next step now, to see if there's a medication that gives him enough recovery time that he's available to play every day. That's what we're waiting to see."
In eight seasons with the Penguins, Dupuis was a frequent linemate of captain Sidney Crosby. Dupuis scored 20 goals twice but injuries have limited him to 55 games since the start of the 2013-14 season. He had six goals and five assists in 16 games this season.
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Kimmo Timonen returned in March of this season after missing time with blood clots.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.