CRANBERRY, Pa -- Zachary Lauzon is just grateful to be here.
Lauzon, finally healthy for the first time since the Penguins drafted him in the second round in 2017, is attending the Penguins' development camp as a free-agent invitee after they relinquished their signing rights to Lauzon earlier in the month. And that's only part of his challenging route to get here: He suffered a concussion during the 2017 QMJHL playoffs, two months before the Penguins drafted him. He attempted to return three separate times during the 2017-18 season, and his symptoms returned each time.
"I was dealing with neck problems with my symptoms, coming back and on again, and I wasn't able to be 100 percent healthy the season after my draft year," Lauzon recalled for me Wednesday at the Lemieux Sports Complex. "I was putting all of the pressure on myself."
Over the summer, Lauzon's agent connected him with Plasticity Brain Centers in Orlando, the same organization Sidney Crosby turned to during his concussion problems. Lauzon's doctor was able to diagnose Lauzon's neck injury and developed a treatment plan that worked for him.
The bad luck didn't stop, though. Lauzon was aiming for a December return in 2018-19, but a broken foot ended his season.
"I was hoping on playing in a game last year, but unfortunately I had a couple of bad bounces," Lauzon said. "I broke my foot during a workout, so I decided to take the season off and just take care of myself. I'm glad about how I feel today and where I am. I'm just looking forward.
"At the end of the day it took longer than expected," Lauzon said of his recovery. "If I would have been able to see that doctor right after my injury, I think the story would be different. I have no regrets, I'm happy to be where I am and I'm just looking forward from now on."
With the Penguins relinquishing their signing rights to Lauzon, and Lauzon being too old to return to the QMJHL, he has committed to the University of New Brunswick for the 2019-20 season. New Brunswick is the reigning U Sports University Cup champion.
"It's a great hockey program, it's a great plan B for me," Lauzon said. "If I still have a chance to sign a pro contract, that would be my No. 1 option. But I know that if it doesn't happen, I'll be able to play some great quality hockey next year."
Tom Kostopoulos, the Penguins' development coach, said the organization was just happy to see Lauzon at 100 percent health and back on the ice, and that Lauzon has gotten both physically and mentally stronger while rehabbing from his injuries.
"I think we all wish the best for him, and just want to see him in a competitive environment and see what he can do," Kostopoulos added. "I think it will be a big year for him. He's got a lot to prove, and I think that he can do it."
Whether Lauzon earns a contract out of this camp or plays for New Brunswick in the fall, he's just thankful that the Penguins organization has stuck by him over the past two seasons.
"The Penguins helped me financially to go (to Orlando), because it's really expensive," Lauzon said. "For that, I'm very fortunate to have landed in a great organization that took great care of me despite all my injuries and all the bad stuff that happened to me. It's a great gesture for them to give me another chance like this this year, I'm really happy to be here."
MORE FROM DAY 1
• Kasper Bjorkqvist (shoulder), Justin Almeida (shoulder), and Nikita Pavlychev (abdomen) are all rehabbing from offseason surgeries and are not attending the camp.
• The Group A session was led by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach Clark Donatelli, and Nailers head coach Mike Bavis led the Group B session. Wilkes-Barre assistant coaches Jarrod Skalde and JD Forrest are here, as are Kostopoulos, skills coach Ty Hennes, goaltending coach Mike Buckley and goaltending development coach Andy Chiodo.
• When Samuel Poulin was drafted, his skating was listed as a main weakness, but it didn't stand out as a weakness during the on-ice sessions Wednesday. We'll have a better idea of how his skating matches up during the tournament on Day 3, but he looked fine in the opening drills. Much more on Poulin's day coming tonight from Dejan Kovacevic.
• Calen Addison's shot stood out to me today. He has a great release. Much more on Addison's day from Dave Molinari.
• There are more Finnish players here than I can ever remember being at one of these development camps. There are six -- draft picks Niclas Almari, Antti Palojarvi, Valtteri Puustinen, and Santeri Airola, free-agent signing Emil Larmi, and free-agent invite Roni Allen. That's not counting Bjorkqvist, who is back in Finland rehabbing from his shoulder surgery. Another Finn, Oula Palve, will be in Wilkes-Barre next season. When I spoke to Almari, he was so proud of the Finnish representation here, and made sure to point out that Filip Hallander is the lone Swede. "The tables have turned," Almari said.
I'll have more on the Finns later this week.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Penguins development camp, Cranberry, Pa., June 26, 2019 -- MATT SUNDAY / DKPS