Overview

• Pietrangelo, 35, told reporters at training camp that “nothing is really concrete” and he will continue rehabbing a long‑term hip injury while remaining on LTIR.
• He has opted against surgery previously described as bilateral femur reconstruction and says the rehab program has meaningfully improved his daily life.
• The stance is a notable shift from June, when he and GM Kelly McCrimmon conveyed that a return was unlikely and surgery had been discussed with no guaranteed success.
• His $8.8 million cap hit and the possibility of an in‑season return could reduce Vegas’s usable LTIR relief compared with a full‑season ruling, which analysts say may force cap‑clearing moves.
• A TSN report cautioned that expectations of a comeback may be overstated this year, as the NHL and NHLPA have also tightened LTIR and introduced postseason cap rules.