Short little post here, but I figured you'd be interested in knowing that Philippe Boucher did come out on the ice for 5-10 minutes at the end of Penguins practice on Saturday.
He was wearing a track suit and didn't push himself at all, but for a guy who had foot surgery just getting skates on and getting out there is an important first step.
Boucher is currently on the long-term injured reserve (LTIR) and his salary isn't counting against the Penguins cap. After the shuffling of acquiring Bill Guerin and Craig Adams plus pushing Miroslav Satan out I'm not current on exactly how much room the Penguins have under the cap. They might not even have the room to bring Boucher's prorated $2.5 million cap hit back again this season without dropping a salary.
It's also important to note that teams don't have to be confined to the salary cap after the regular season ends, so there'd be no penalty or reason Boucher couldn't be added to the lineup if the Pens qualify for the second season...
Whether or not #43 belongs out there is another matter. Obviously Sergei Gonchar, Brooks Orpik and Rob Scuderi are staying in the lineup. Mark Eaton has been playing well of late, as has Hal Gill. Kris Letang, while prone to some errors, has 2 goals and 2 assists in the last four games and is generally moving the puck well. Boucher may well be a victim of the team's depth and health on the blueline.