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New head coach Mike Johnston, who prefers to group players in pairs rather than line units, has already paired Sidney Crosby with Chris Kunitz -- leaving Dupuis's spot on the unit in question, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

New head coach Mike Johnston, who prefers to group players in pairs rather than line units, has already paired Sidney Crosby with Chris Kunitz -- leaving Dupuis's spot on the unit in question, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Analysis:

Recovering from knee surgery, Dupuis has been skating three or four times per week since June and figures to be ready for the season's start. In the end, Dupuis will likely see plenty of action with Crosby and Kunitz, but the new head coach could shake things up. The 35-year-old's numbers were beginning to slip last year -- he had 20 points in 39 games before getting hurt -- but he's still probably worth half a point per game once again in 2014-15.

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