Faceoff czar Mike Zigomanis back to the ice soon

Injured Penguins forward Mike Zigomanis might not be out for the season after all...From the official site:

Forward Mike Zigomanis, out of the lineup since early December with a shoulder injury, said that he is ahead of schedule and plans on returning to the ice next week.

"Rehab is going really well," Zigomanis said. "I’m probably head back on the ice next week which has me way ahead of schedule. It’s a lot of hard work and I’ve got it taken care of so that way I can be healthy and 100 percent going here forward."

Even with a possible return to the ice next week, Zigomanis still is some time away from being ready to play.

"I think maybe somewhere in the middle of the playoffs I could probably return," he said. "But it’s going great right now and it will just give the team an option for another player, add depth and that’s all I can really hope for right now."

 It's difficult to jump back into the playoffs when everyone's in a high gear, but it might be possible for Zigomanis.  His role, as one of the best faceoff men in the game, is somewhat limited and would only play 4th line minutes.

As Ziggy alludes to, even if he just gives the Penguins another option it'll be a good thing.  Injuries invariably happen and having a versatile forward would only be a good thing for a playoff run.