Brian Boyle is going to give it another shot.
The 36-year-old center signed a professional tryout contract with the Penguins earlier this month, and is currently going through training camp in Cranberry.
Boyle sat out the 2020-2021 season, but kept his eye on a return, training and staying sharp on the ice.
“I really hoped for another opportunity to play," he said Thursday after the first day of Pens camp. "My mind was still there and my body was still there.”
Should he make the team, the Penguins would become the eighth different NHL team Boyle has played for in his career. But he did have some familiarity with the Penguins, and knew a bit about what to expect in Pittsburgh.
“I’ve played under (Penguins coach Mike Sullivan) before. I always played against this team before,” he said. “It’s a chance to get back in the league for me on a good team — a really good team. The roster speaks for itself. I get to play with some superstars in this league, some guy who changed the way the game is played in this league.”
“He’s a real good player,” Sullivan said. “He’s going to bring a lot of leadership to our team. He’s a good pro. He always trains so hard and he keeps himself in great shape. ...He’s a guy that brings a certain skillset to areas we can get better at.”
This is just the second camp that Boyle has gone through in the last five years, and he admitted Thursday that the first day out was a challenge.
Boyle has had a rocky journey over the last few seasons. In September of 2017, he announced that he had been diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia, a treatable form of blood and bone marrow cancer. In that same year, Boyle’s son, Declan, was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation of the jaw, a rare condition that impacts blood vessels and arteries.
Boyle, now in remission, has a story that makes him an easy player to root for. But he’ll have to prove his spot nevertheless.
What he brings, that the Penguins lack, is a physical, 6-foot-7, 244-pound framed center iceman. If his legs can handle it, he’ll hav a chance at making the team, especially with the current injuries to Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.
“I’ve just got to play the way I play,” Boyle said. “What are the attributes that I can do to make a different in the game?”
Contract extension for Rust?
Pens forward Bryan Rust is entering the final year of his contract and seems due for a big pay raise.
Rust will make $3.5 million this season, but his on-ice production makes him one of the best values in the league.
The eight-year veteran has tallied 49 goals and 98 points in the last two seasons and racked up four straight years of 35 or more points.
But, according to Rust, it sounds like a deal will not happen this preseason.
“For right now I’m just kind of worried about getting ready for the season,” said Rust, who was an All-Star in 2019-20. “Obviously, it’s something that’s going to be there during the year. I’m going to try to not focus on it, worry about my day-to-day life, my day-to-day game, and just go from there.”
Jarry ‘put in hard work’ to correct flaws
Pittsburgh goalie Tristan Jarry is hoping to put last season’s playoff struggles in the rear view mirror.
Jarry went 2-4 in the Penguins’ series loss to the Islanders, posting a dismal .888 save percentage and a 3.18 goals against average.
He hopes that he figured some things out this offseason.
“I think just a lot of hard work, that was the biggest thing for me, was just to get down and get to work,” he said. “I wanted to be better this year. It was a summer where I could take a step forward and improve. I was able to work on a lot of things in my game and I think that’ll help this season.”
Jarry, as if he was reading from a script, nearly recited those same lines verbatim when asked about blocking out the very public criticism he received after last year’s playoff debacle.
He did, however, open up a bit about other goalies, past and present, reaching out to him to voice support.