New Penguins right winger Phil Kessel joined his new teammates on the ice for the first time Thursday, skating at times on a line with center Sidney Crosby during informal scrimmages at the team's practice facility in Cranberry.
Acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a blockbuster trade July 1, Kessel is expected to play extensively with Crosby in 2015-16.
Kessel, who was dogged by speculation of being out of shape while in Toronto, trained with former Penguins left winger Gary Roberts this past summer in Ontario. Roberts, who has built a reputation for improving the performances of all-stars such as Lightning forward Steven Stamkos and former Penguins left winger James Neal, helped improve Kessel's diet.