With his career winding down, Sergei Gonchar is returning to Pittsburgh in the hopes of playing once more with the team he helped lead to a Stanley Cup championship.
The Penguins have announced that Gonchar will attend their training camp on a professional tryout contract.
Gonchar has recorded 220 goals and 811 points in 1,301 career games with the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Dallas Stars, and Montreal Canadiens. He’s reached the 50-point mark on nine separate occasions and has traditionally logged big minutes.
He’s 41-years-old now though and saw his role decline substantially with Montreal last season. He had a goal and 14 points in 48 contests and wasn’t used at all in the playoffs.
At this stage of his career, he might find it difficult to secure a job with the Penguins. Pittsburgh has six blueliners inked to one-way contracts, not including Olli Maatta. On top of that, defensemen Adam Clendening and Derrick Pouliot are expected to compete for roster spots during training camp.
