It will be Letang's first game action since Feb. 21. He was limited to 41 regular-season games last season and missed the Penguins' entire Stanley Cup championship run due to a neck injury.
He got another piece of good news Saturday, as Sullivan also revealed the blue-liner will wear an "A" as alternate captain this season, taking over for the departed Chris Kunitz, who signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 1.
The NHL has been enforcing slashing and faceoff infractions by the book this preseason and players have voiced their frustrations with the strictness of the calls. Even with the report that the league asked officials to dial it back a bit, that doesn't mean there won't be an increase in penalties - even if it's not as drastic as it once looked like it may be.
The last time the NHL began enforcing two penalties so strictly was in the post-lockout 2005-06 season, when the league enforced hooking and holding infractions by the book. It took players a full season to adjust, leading to a crazy number of minor penalties, and a whole lot of goals.
The faceoff violations - which occur when a player fails to line up properly, or plays the puck with his hand, among other small intricacies - is something players likely won't take long to which to adjust. How long exactly remains to be seen, but coaches would surely rather lose a faceoff than take a two-minute penalty for a violation.
Slashing, however, could be a longer adjustment. It's in a player's nature to give an opponent a light (or sometimes vicious) whack when they get beat wide. In the past - unless it was blatant - the NHL would usually let it fly, but apparently not this year, even with the reported dial back. Slower players specifically could have some trouble with this crackdown.
With that being said, it'll be on the players to adjust, and if they can't, there could be a lot of scoring.
Season
Minor Penalties/G
Goals/G
PPG/G
2017-18 preseason
13.8
7.08
2.44
2016-17 regular season
6.9
5.54
1.14
2005-06 season
12.9
6.16
2.06
(2016-17 data courtesy: CBS; 2005-06 data courtesy: FOX)
Now, expecting there to be 14 minor penalties per game for the entire regular season is ridiculous, but even if it hovers around nine or 10, there would be a precipitous rise in goals over recent years. Even a slight increase in penalties could have an effect on the NHL landscape.
Which teams would benefit?
Teams with plenty of speed would conceivably draw more slashing penalties, which would lead to more power plays. So many teams in today's NHL are built on speed, but some that might stand out from the pack include the Penguins, Blackhawks, Predators, Maple Leafs, and Lightning.
Moreover, teams that excel on special teams would obviously benefit from more penalties. Here are last season's leaders in power-play percentage plus penalty kill percentage:
Team
PP% + PK%
1. Bruins
107.4
2. Capitals
106.9
3. Maple Leafs
106.3
4. Blues
106.1
5. Lightning
104.7
Which teams would suffer?
On the contrary, the league's slower teams might find themselves killing a few more penalties. As far as the standards go, teams that would fall into the slower category include the Kings, Canadiens (specifically on the back end), and Sharks.
As a result, having poor special teams wouldn't do clubs any favors if more penalties are called. Here are last season's bottom five teams in power-play percentage plus penalty kill percentage:
Team
PP% + PK%
30. Avalanche
89.2
29. Canucks
90.8
28. Stars
91.8
27. Coyotes
93.5
T26. Blackhawks
95.7
T26. Jets
95.7
While most teams listed above were bottom feeders, the Blackhawks managed to finish atop the Western Conference, despite poor special teams.
Lastly, for what it's worth, here are last year's league leaders in slashing minors, per ESPN:
Team
Slashing minors
1. Blues
37
Penguins
37
3. Flames
36
Senators
36
5. Jets
35
Blue Jackets
35
Capitals
35
Only time will tell just exactly how strict officials will call slashing and faceoff violations once the regular season gets underway, but for a league that's been seeking ways to increase scoring, calling these infractions by the book would certainly do the trick.
The NHL sent a note to its officials Friday instructing them to ease up a bit in their crackdown on slashing and faceoff infractions, Sportsnet's John Shannon reports.
TVA's Renaud Lavoie later added some further detail.
Faceoffs: NHL not looking for a toe off the line standard anymore, but conformance and recognition of the existing face-off lines.
There has been a significant increase in the number of penalties called for both slashing and faceoff violations in the preseason, and it has brought about criticism from players, as well as concern from fans and the media.
Wilson was not assessed a minor penalty on the play, but proceeded to drop the gloves with Blues forward Dmitrij Jaskin afterward. It did not end well for Jaskin.
When the New Jersey Devils selected forward Nico Hischier with the first overall draft pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, it signified an end of an era in the swamp.
Gone are the days of the trap, Scott Stevens, Martin Brodeur, and low-scoring games, as a new offensive age of Devils hockey is being ushered in on the back of their rookie phenom.
The Devils have built a reputation as a boring, defensive-minded club prone to tight-checking games. That wasn't always a big box-office attraction, but they took home nine division titles, five conference championships, and three Stanley Cups between 1995 and 2012. However, now they aren't succeeding with that style - New Jersey's failed to qualify for the playoffs the last five years.
Between its struggles in the standings and the lack of a marquee name, the club's attendance has also languished. The Devils have barely hit an average of 15,000 fans per game over the last five seasons.
Hischier's No. 1 overall draft pick status should help put people in the seats, but it's his ability to put the puck in the net that really makes him the player the Devils have been waiting for.
The speedy forward registered stellar offensive numbers during his only campaign of North American hockey. In just 57 regular-season games for the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads, Hischier racked up 86 points last season while finishing with a plus-minus rating of plus-20.
That compares pretty favorably to another former Moosehead who went first overall. Nathan MacKinnon had 78 points across 58 regular-season games with Halifax during the 2011-12 season and went on to star for the Colorado Avalanche, scoring 50-plus points in three of his four NHL seasons - and he's just getting warmed up.
Hischier's already had a promising showing with New Jersey, although two preseason games are nothing to get overly hyped up about. Still, he's scored two goals and played nearly 16 minutes a night while showing off a slick pair of mitts, leaving Devils fans to salivate over the potential future face of the franchise.
And the supporting cast gives them even more reason to be excited. In addition to Hischier, New Jersey boasts some solid top-six forwards, including Taylor Hall, Marcus Johansson, and Kyle Palmieri. With Hischier in the mix, that unit's vastly improved compared to seasons past (although there's no telling how soon he'll become a regular NHL presence).
The Swiss native's offensive upside may be obvious, but it's not all he brings to the table. Hischier also has the potential to develop into the leader the club's sorely lacked since Scott Niedermayer left the team in 2005.
Current Ottawa Senators gaffer Guy Boucher coached Hischier during his time with SC Bern of the Swiss National League and praised his maturity.
"He manages the game like an adult, like a man," Boucher said, according to Guillaume Lepage of NHL.com. "Great vision, great poise, but he's always in the right place defensively too, which puts him ahead of a lot of young guys. They rarely have both sides of the ice figured out, especially at that age."
His junior teammates praised his ability to set an example. Benoit-Olivier Groulx described him as "mentally strong" and added, "I've learned a lot from him on the ice and off. He's already a professional."
It's early to predict that an 18-year-old rookie with zero NHL regular-season experience will be rocking the "C" in Jersey, but there are signs that he has the type of mentality that will earn the respect of his coaches and teammates.
On the ice, in the dressing room, and away from the rink, Hischier seems to be the complete package that the Devils have been missing to drive the franchise for the foreseeable future.
While Stevens and Brodeur had their own way of leading New Jersey, it's time for Hischier and the boys to blaze their own path in the league.
The Marian Hossa situation appears close to being resolved.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed Friday night that the Chicago Blackhawks forward was examined recently, and that the league will soon determine whether he can be placed on long-term injured reserve.
‘‘Marian Hossa underwent an independent medical evaluation several days ago,’’ Daly wrote in an email to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘We are waiting for the report. Once we have that, we should be in a position to determine his proper status.’’
Daily said in July that the Blackhawks didn't wish to put Hossa on LTIR until the start of the season. The NHL was originally expected to decide on his eligibility for that designation by July 1.
Hossa and the Blackhawks revealed in June that the 38-year-old will miss the 2017-18 campaign due to a skin disorder.
The Blackhawks would clearly prefer to see his $5.275-million cap hit come off the books, which is what will happen if the league deems the veteran eligible for LTIR placement.
Chicago is in the red, cap-wise, at the moment, but teams are allowed to go over the cap as long as they get under by opening night.
Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid are the consensus top two picks in fantasy hockey league drafts that consist of the following standard scoring setup: Goals, Assists, Plus/Minus, Penalty Minutes, Power-play points, Shots on goal.
Two of theScore's NHL News Editors, Josh Wegman and Sean O'Leary, will state their case for who they think should be taken with the first overall pick in fantasy hockey leagues.
Wegman: McDavid is the easy choice for me. He led the league with 100 points last year, and no one else even recorded 90. That gap sets him apart from every player in the league - even Crosby.
O'Leary: While McDavid reached the century mark, Crosby ranked second league-wide with 89 points despite playing in only 75 games. Staying healthy is certainly no guarantee for either player, but if both Crosby and McDavid suit up for 82 contests, the gap in production should shrink.
Reaching 100 points in today's NHL is an outstanding feat, and there's no reason to think McDavid can't repeat, or top his Hart-winning season. However, Crosby's averaged a ridiculous 1.31 points per game over his entire career, and has hardly showed any signs of slowing down.
Wegman: I'm giving McDavid a leg up is because his ceiling is higher. At 20 years old, he still has plenty of room for improvement, while Crosby has seemingly peaked (although, peaking as one of the best players of all time is certainly not a bad thing).
McDavid only scored three power-play goals last season. A player with his skill set is obviously capable of more. In fact, he only registered 34 shots on the power play all year. If he opts to be a bit more selfish this time around (something Crosby learned as his career went on) it could result in a 40-goal season, which would further cement his value as the league's top fantasy player.
O'Leary: If you're looking at power-play totals, Crosby holds incredible value. In 2016-17, Sid had 14 goals on the man advantage - good for the third-highest total in the NHL - to go with 25 helpers as the Penguins scored at a 23.1 percent clip for the season while up a man.
That, too, was with Evgeni Malkin missing 20 regular-season games. If Crosby and his partner are available all season, matching, and/or exceeding last season's power-play totals is a virtual guarantee.
Wegman: Sure, Crosby is a much more established player on the man advantage, but McDavid was able to collect 100 points without tearing it up on the power play. His potential is unmatched. Which brings me to my next point.
McDavid's ceiling is higher not only because he's a decade younger, but he'll come into 2017-18 much fresher than Crosby. With back-to-back Stanley Cups, Crosby has played 48 playoff games over the last two years. While I can't question his durability or toughness, he is human, and that workload could take it's toll not only on Crosby, but on the Penguins as a whole.
McDavid is coming into the season hungry for a championship from the get-go, and it will show in the video game numbers he's about to put up.
O'Leary: Age has yet to play a factor in Crosby's production or his desire to win championships. Sid is coming off a year in which he earned the Rocket Richard and Conn Smythe, and anyone that's ever seen Crosby play hockey knows he's planning on doing it again.
McDavid's ceiling may be higher at this juncture, but Crosby's consistently been the best player in the game since he was 18 years old. If it's a keeper league, sure, McDavid at No. 1 is a no-brainer, but presently, Crosby is equally capable of generating gaudy offensive numbers, and should warrant equal consideration as the top overall pick.
