Penguins' Maatta expects to be ready for training camp in September

The Pittsburgh Penguins will welcome a big addition into their lineup when training camp opens in September and this one wasn't acquired via trade or the free-agent market.

Defenseman Olli Maatta expects to re-join the team with a clean bill of health when camp begins.

"We're on schedule," Maatta told the Penguins' official site. "Obviously the goal is to be ready for training camp. Everything is going as we planned, so that's the goal."

Maatta, 20, started his NHL career with a bang, posting 29 points in 78 games in his rookie season, helping solidify the Penguins' back end.

Unfortunately, the youngster only appeared in 20 games last season due to shoulder issues and a run-in with a cancerous tumor in his neck that required surgery.

Pittsburgh struggled with injuries to their blue line as the regular season closed out, which forced them to play with a short, inexperienced defensive rotation in the first round of the postseason against the New York Rangers; a series they eventually lost.