The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned defenseman Caleb Jones to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) for conditioning purposes on Monday.
Jones is currently designated to injured reserve due to a suspected left foot injury that has sidelined him since Oct. 23.
Following a practice session in Cranberry on Friday, Jones suggested he was close to potentially returning to play.
“Next weekend would be the target that I probably feel good enough to play,” Jones said. “It’s kind of all up to me and when I feel like I’d be strong enough and I can get some practices in with some contact and kind of go through the steps that way.”
Before his injury, Jones was a regular part of the Penguins’ lineup. Primarily stationed on the left side of the third pairing, Jones appeared in seven of the team’s first eight games and posted one assist while averaging 17:10 of ice time per contest.
Per NHL rules, conditioning loans can last no longer than 14 days.