Talbot to miss 1 to 2 months - 7-7-09

Maxime Talbot's wonky shoulder will force him to miss 1 to 2 months of the upcoming season.

With Talbot sidelined, does that make re-signing Petr Sykora or some other fairly competent second-line winger a bigger priority? Or can the Penguins get by for two months plugging the gap with a guy like Dustin Jeffrey?

Personally, we'd love to see Jeffrey get an audition on Evgeni Malkin's wing. Like Talbot, he can play center or wing. Like Talbot, he picked up his production in the postseason. He had 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 12 playoff games last season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Three of those points were on the power play. He might not be a natural goal-scorer, but he's not afraid to shoot the puck.

We're not suggesting Jeffrey would ever be the long-term solution on the second line, but he's worth a look.

(Photo: Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)