Penguins’ Tomas Vokoun out indefinitely after procedure to dissolve blood clot
The Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending situation was already a little thorny to begin with entering the 2013-14 season with Marc-Andre Fleury coming off another rough postseason. On Saturday, a monkey wrench was thrown into their plans with their regular season opener just under two weeks away.
After their preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, general manager Ray Shero announced that Tomas Vokoun would be out indefinitely after a procedure to dissolve a blood clot from his pelvis.
From the Penguins:
Vokoun left the ice at practice this morning at CONSOL Energy Center after noticing swelling in his thigh. He was taken to the emergency room, where doctors diagnosed the blood clot.
“The most important thing right now is Tomas’ health and well-being,” Penguins General Manager Ray Shero said. “The clot was dissolved by the procedure, and the doctors tell us that he will remain in the hospital for several days. We will continue to monitor his progress after that.”
This isn't the first time Vokoun has had to deal with this ailment. In April 2006, while a member of the Nashville Predators, he missed the rest of the regular season and playoffs after a blood clot was discovered in his pelvis. He wasn't cleared to play until three months later in July.
Where will Shero look, if at all to shore up his crease? Currently, Jeff Zatkoff and Eric Hartzell are behind Fleury on the depth chart. Both have played zero NHL games in their careers. With the hope that Fleury can play like his regular season self, two cheap options to possibly look at would be Jose Theodore or a reunion with Johan Hedberg, who was released from a tryout with the New York Rangers this week.
Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy
