Training Camp Buzz: Penguins cancel practice out of COVID-19 caution

Welcome to the 2020-21 NHL training camp buzz. Training camp is underway for all 31 teams and NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins canceled their training camp practices and scrimmage scheduled for Saturday.
They said the decision was made "out of an abundance of caution due to potential exposure of COVID-19" and information about their schedule Sunday would come at later time.
The Penguins practiced and had a scrimmage on Friday after an off day Thursday.
They are the third NHL team in two days to have a practice impacted by COVID-19 concerns.
The Dallas Stars canceled their practice on Friday and later the NHL announced six Dallas players and two staff members recently
tested positive for COVID-19
. The Stars facilities are closed down and their first two games of the 2020-21 NHL season, at the Florida Panthers on Jan. 14 and 15, have been postponed.
Also Friday,
19 players did not practice
for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who said an unspecified number of players were sidelined "out of an abundance of caution and in accordance with NHL COVID-19 protocols." Eighteen of those players
returned on Saturday
.

Edmonton Oilers

James Neal will not be ready for the start of the season.
The forward skated with his teammates for the first time in training camp Saturday. He had previously been in quarantine and was unfit to play.
"It's 14 days. It's a long time," he said. "You just have to go by the rules and be safe here. It's frustrating but you have to keep your team safe and yourself."
The Oilers begin the season against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday.
"He basically was off the ice for almost a month so it's going to take him some time to get up and going here," Oilers coach Dave Tippett said. "But he's got a great attitude. He jumps in there and he's been working hard. But he's got a ways to go yet." -- Tim Campbell

Vegas Golden Knights

Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner will be part of a timeshare to start the regular season.
The Golden Knights begin the season against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday and play every other day for two weeks, so each goalie will be counted on.
"I think both guys have had excellent camps," coach Peter DeBoer said. "So, I've been really happy with where they're both at.
"We're going to need both guys. I'm sure to start the season we're going to look at some type of 50-50 split early to get both of their games established and ease them in, and then we'll go from there. And then all bets are off."
The Golden Knights acquired Lehner in a trade on Feb. 24. He took over the No. 1 job from Fleury in the 2020 postseason and signed a five-year contract Oct. 3.
Fleury has played at least 49 games and has at least 27 wins in each of his three seasons with Vegas. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika

Florida Panthers

Patric Hornqvist took part in practice with the Panthers for the first time Saturday.
The forward, who was acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sept. 24, had not been on ice with the team since their training camp opened Dec. 31.
"I thought he looked good coming off that absence there at the start," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. "The one thing that he provided our team going into camp [was] he had a lot of enthusiasm and leadership qualities. Right from the get-go, his attitude was nice to see."
Hornqvist scored 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists) in 52 games with the Penguins last season.
The Panthers also claimed defenseman Gustav Forsling off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes.
He did not play in the NHL last season but scored nine points (three goals, six assists) in 43 games with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018-19.

Philadelphia Flyers

Shayne Gostisbehere was unfit to practice for the Flyers on Saturday and will not be available for their intrasquad scrimmage Sunday.
Gostisbehere has spent part of training camp playing alongside Ivan Provorov on the top defense pair.
"We wanted to have the opportunity to take a look at 'Provy' and 'Ghost' together," coach Alain Vigneault said Friday. "They have played together in the past and my understanding is they've had some good success."
Provorov and Gostisbehere were paired together for long stretches during the 2017-18 season, when Provorov tied for the NHL lead among defensemen with 17 goals and Gostisbehere was fourth among NHL defensemen with 65 points (13 goals, 52 assists); they struggled to find the same success in 2018-19 and have rarely played together since then.
Gostisbehere, who played in 42 games last season, has said he feels better than in previous seasons following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Jan. 14, and a similar procedure on his right knee in May. He is one of seven defensemen at training camp to play at least 40 NHL games last season, along with Provorov (69), Travis Sanheim (69), Erik Gustafsson (63), Justin Braun (62), Philippe Myers (50) and Robert Hagg (49). -- Adam Kimelman

New York Rangers

Mika Zibanejad skated prior to practice, the first time the center has been on ice during training camp.
Zibanejad had been listed as day to day since the Rangers began on-ice sessions Monday.
"Mika has had a couple good days," coach David Quinn said. "He's inching closer to returning."
Zibanejad led the Rangers with 41 goals last season and was second on the team with 75 points in 57 games (Artemi Panarin, 95 points).
Goalie Keith Kinkaid also skated prior to practice for the first time. He had been listed as day to day.

Detroit Red Wings

Christian Djoos was claimed off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks.
The defenseman scored three points (one goal, two assists) in 11 games last season for the Washington Capitals and Ducks, who acquired him in a trade on Feb. 24.
"It's another player to add to the competition on the back end, and I don't know where he slots until again we get him here and kind of see where he's at today in comparison to everybody else," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said.
Djoos helped the Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2017-18, scoring an NHL career-high 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 63 games as a rookie and one assist in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
"He's a guy who's had some success in the NHL at times, and we're going to see once we get him here live exactly where he fits in," Blashill said. "We've got other guys here that are NHL-caliber guys, and we probably have too many, and we'll figure out which guys are the best ones." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika