Pittsburgh Penguins: What Jordan Staal's Return Will Mean For The Team

With Pittsburgh Penguins center and penalty killer extraordinaire Jordan Staal's return from injury looming, the team will face some major changes, some good and some unfortunate.

After undergoing surgery to repair a severed tendon in his foot, Staal fought through a grueling rehab and experienced setbacks in the process. A day before his season debut, Staal was on the receiving end of a slap shot during practice.

He was immediately sent back to the injured list with a fractured hand, to his frustration.

Staal is now only games away from his return to the squad, but his return poses some problems to the Pens' lineup.

Who will be the odd player out?

By no means is this considered a real problem, but it doesn't make the decision any easier for the Pens' coaching staff. With their recent record of 9-0-1, few coaches would want to make any changes.

However, leaving a healthy Staal out of the lineup is out of the question given all that he has done for the team.

Staal was a pleasant surprise during his first training camp in the summer of 2006, and he was awarded a roster spot despite many urging he be sent down for more development. The decision to keep him up was a wise one as Staal lead NHL rookies with a record seven shorthanded goals and 29 goals for 42 points. Following his season, Staal received a nomination for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.

Like many successful rookies before him, however, Staal was hit with the dreaded sophomore slump. His number totals were almost cut in half and just barely hit double digits in goals.

Fans and analysts alike began to call for Staal to be traded. Two seasons later, Staal's standing grew as one of the best defensive forwards in the game, including an incredible showing in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals. GM Ray Shero's decision to keep Staal on the team has been looking better and better.

Staal brings a physically dominating presence to the ice which adds to his capabilities as a penalty killer. His tall stature is nightmarish for forwards to face because of his long stick and honed back check.

Of course, these skills will have to be reacquired following the extended time Staal has been injured. Fans cannot expect him to step onto the ice and fall into midseason form. Hopefully by the Winter Classic, Staal has regained his timing and found his legs.

When Staal does return to the lineup, it will ultimately mean that someone on the roster will be sent down or waived.

Here's where the problems begin because the Pens have multiple players to chose from:

Signing Mike Comrie at an NHL minimum at the end of the summer was considered a steal for the Pens. The first player to score at the Consol Energy Center, the expectations were high for Comrie, only he has yet to show up to a hockey game despite physically playing 16 games of 27.

Comrie is currently injured, but is expected to be back in a week.

Eric Godard, the resident enforcer, has only played eight games this season and contributed little on the ice outside of the boxing matches. This is in part to the addition of defenseman Deryk Engelland who plays solid defensive hockey, but is the first to get into a scrap if necessary and is more than capable of holding his ground.

Lastly, Chris Conner was a recent call-up from Wilkes-Barre, and has made his presence known. Physically, Conner is anything but intimidating, standing at 5'8" and 180 pounds, but he has found a scary chemistry with Mark Letestu and Tyler Kennedy. The Buzzers, as they call themselves, are a line supercharged with speed and energy despite coming together just over a week ago.

In recent games, they have been consistently the best line on the Pens, as Conner leads the charge with unmatched speed and play along the boards.

Naturally, it makes the most sense to keep Conner on the roster, but with the possibility that he will spend time in the press box, is it worth keeping him in the NHL and out of action? Is it better to send him down, hope he clears waivers, and give him a chance to improve even more?

Ideally, keeping Conner would be fantastic for the sake of the Buzzers, however, I can't see him taking a roster spot over players like Max Talbot, Craig Adams or Arron Asham. I feel like Conner would benefit best playing every game, not sitting in the press box which is where he might find himself as long as the aforementioned players are on their game.

Upon Staal's return, I hope to see the offensive lines as follows:

Kunitz - Crosby - Dupuis

Asham - Staal - Malkin

Cooke - Letestu - Kennedy

Talbot - Adams - Rupp/Godard

Comrie

The first line shouldn't be touched, and I think Asham needs to be given a longer shot at the second line to see if there truly is chemistry between him and Malkin. Matt Cooke would be better suited on the third line with Kennedy, who he not only spent the last two season with, but also plays a chippy style that would mesh well with the speed and tenacity of his linemates.

Pens fans and the rest of the team eagerly await Staal's return, but it won't come easy as he will need time to readjust to playing.

In the meantime, some difficult decisions will be made, though I'm sure teams would kill to have these problems.

Laura Falcon is a Featured Columnist for the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Follow her on Twitter or email her at [e-mail] with any comments.