Pens Points: Letang cleared for camp

Three cheers- Kris Letang is healthy and has been cleared for full hockey activities for the start of training camp following his April neck surgery. [Sportsnet]

Coach Mike Sullivan has also made it a point to talk to Letang about how to hopefully keep him in the lineup. “There might be an assumption that we’re trying to change the way ‘Tanger’ plays the game. That’s not what the message has been to Kris. It’s been more about making more calculated decisions on when there simply isn’t a play to be made.” From coach’s lips to player’s ears, let’s hope. [Post-Gazette]

Sidney Crosby’s “you up?” night text isn’t to a booty call, it’s to a coach to talk about the hockey he’s watching around the league, because of course it is. [Sportsnet]

Zach Aston-Reese had a frustrating rookie challenge so he did what hockey players usually do when frustrated and beat someone up. [PG]

Prospect Lukas Bengtsson thinks the docs finally have diagnosed his condition (POTS) correctly and that he can better manage it. [Tribune Review]

The Hockey News’ early season prediction includes the Penguins winning the Metropolitan Division, beating the Rangers in Round 1, Capitals in Round 2 (oh please, oh please) and eventually beating the Oilers for a 3rd straight Stanley Cup. Can we just cancel the season and make this happen? [Hockey News]

Deryk Engelland helped Marc-Andre Fleury get a house in Vegas. [NHL.com]

Lou Lamoriello reminds the Canadian media that the Maple Leafs have not in fact won anything yet, despite a sunny outlook and high expectations for this year. [PPP]

One of our pals at WiiM got to tour the new digs of the Red Wings arena. And let’s say it definitely looks nicer than the product Detroit will be putting on the ice this year heyoooo! [Winging it in Motown]

Some rumors (all denied) that Matt Duchene won’t show up to Avs camp. The team expects him to be there. And he has a contract that pays him $6 million so why wouldn’t he be there? [TSN]

Congrats to the Pens for winning an Emmy for the “In the Room” program! All the organization does is win, win, win no matter what. [Twitter]

Lastly a moment of pause on this day.