EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Penguins say they aren't ruling out the possibility that John LeClair will play for them again someday.

Their actions say otherwise.

Emphatically.

Not because they put him on waivers Thursday, but because they assigned him to their minor-league team in Wilkes-Barre after he cleared yesterday.

By doing that -- rather than, say, simply having LeClair spend a few days at home while keeping him on the major-league roster -- the Penguins assured that he will have to go on re-entry waivers to return to the NHL.

That means LeClair would be made available to the other 29 NHL clubs for 50 percent of the pro-rated remainder of his salary this season -- the Penguins would be responsible for the other half -- and odds are that some team will decide he is a worthy addition under those terms.

In the unlikely event LeClair happened to make it through re-entry waivers unclaimed, it's a near-lock that he simply would retire rather than rejoin the Penguins, given his unhappiness with the limited role in which coach Michel Therrien cast him.

Precisely what LeClair, who has returned to his home in suburban Philadelphia Thursday, is thinking about his future isn't known, because he did not respond to an interview request yesterday.

"I talked to him [Thursday] afternoon and I'll talk to him [this] morning, and see where we go," general manager Ray Shero said last evening. "I just want to confirm with John what he would like to do, and where we're going."

Shero described the decision to put LeClair on waivers as "mutual."

"He was curious as to what was out there, in terms of any other interest," Shero said. "He never requested a trade, or anything like that. He's been a real good professional."

He also insisted that it's not inconceivable that LeClair could play for the Penguins again.

"I have not closed the door for [LeClair] here," Shero said. "I have not closed the door for anybody here. Once you send a player to the minors ... there are players who go to the minors, they clear waivers and they come back."

Left winger Andre Roy, waived by the Penguins Wednesday, is blazing a trail that LeClair might follow. Roy was sent to the Baby Penguins, but now is on re-entry waivers and eligible to be grabbed by any team willing to pick up half of his $1 million salary for a prorated portion of this season and all of 2007-08.

Having Roy claimed could work to the Penguins' benefit, if they have determined he is not part of their future.

If they opted to buy him out next summer, they would owe him only two-thirds of his $1 million salary, but it would be payable -- and would count against their salary cap -- over two years.

In the second of those years, the Penguins will be on the hook for the first season of Sidney Crosby's next contract, as well as that of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

Having Roy completely off their books by the spring of 2008 would give them a little fiscal flexibility that could come in handy then.

Malkin making history
Penguins center Evgeni Malkin made history a couple of times last month.

He not only became the first NHL player in 89 years to score at least one goal in each of his first six games in the league, but became the second one in the history of the rookie of the month award to win it in consecutive months.

The latter feat had not been accomplished since Philadelphia goalie Ron Hextall did it in October and November of 1986. The NHL's rookie of the month award was introduced during the 1983-84 season.

Malkin had seven goals and six assists in 14 games in November, and beat out Los Angeles center Anze Kopitar, Colorado center Paul Stastny and Anaheim defenseman Shane O'Brien for the award.

A familiar foe
The Penguins won't have a lot of time to prepare for their game against the New York Islanders tonight at 7:38 at Mellon Arena, but they shouldn't need much, either.

After all, it will be their third game against the Islanders in nine days -- and the second in five days on home ice.

Facing an opponent so often tends to ratchet up emotions a bit, because there isn't much time to forget previous run-ins, but the Penguins don't seem to be caught up in that aspect.

Some, including defenseman Sergei Gonchar, just shrug it off as a quirk of intra-division scheduling.

"Sometimes people complain about it, but that's the reality these days," he said. "We play them eight games a year, so that's just the way it is."

Center Maxime Talbot, meanwhile, said he is focused on the impact such games have on the standings.

"We have a chance to play a lot of four-point games," he said. "We have to win these games. They're huge."