Penguins Notebook: What If Dumoulin Doesn’t Bounce Back? Boyle, Blomqvist Updates (+)

CRANBERRY — It’s safe to pencil Brian Dumoulin in on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top defense pairing.

Whether his name should be written there in something more permanent presumably will be determined by how he fares during the training camp that resumed Friday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.

At his best, Dumoulin is the ideal partner for Kris Letang, because his defensive style gives Letang the latitude to take some offensive risks, confident that Dumoulin will cover for him.

Mike Sullivan described Dumoulin Thursday as “a stabilizing force back there for us,” adding that “he’s got a very predictable game” because of his reliable, responsible approach.

But Dumoulin, who turned 31 Sept. 6, has had several significant injuries in recent seasons, including an ankle issue that had to be surgically repaired in 2019.