In his media availability Monday, after several defensemen were seen skating in red non-contact practice jerseys, head coach Mike Sullivan was asked if there were any updates on their statuses. In response, he offered several brief, positive remarks about the Penguins’ blueliners and each of their roads to recovery.
“Tanger and Olli skated with our skills coach before practice, and Dumo participated in a non-contact fashion,” said Sullivan. “The next step obviously for (Dumoulin) is full-contact, and his status is still the same — it’s day-to-day. We’re certainly encouraged with his progress.”
During practice, Dumoulin was seen skating and rotating in with Jack Johnson and Justin Schultz on the top pairing, and even though he’s frustrated having to watch his team attempt to solidify a playoff spot from the sidelines, he feels confident that he’s finally back on that ice and that he won’t be out of the lineup for much longer.