be an NHL defenseman," coach John Hynes said. "For him, it's just about being consistent now. He has the talent, the ability. His game is capable of transferring quite well to the NHL. We just want to get him more consistent every day." He will probably head back to Pittsburgh once the lockout ends, but for now he'll continue to work on his game and help lead a talented group of defenders in the AHL. Marc-Andre Fleury hit the ice at Southpointe on Tuesday for his first appearance at the Penguins' informal workouts. He has spent the past few weeks playing in charity games throughout Quebec to stay relatively fresh, but he admits that they aren't the best method to prepare, especially, if you're a goaltender. "There was no hitting, pretty much no slap shots," he said. "It was more of an all-star type of game. [Games with scores such as] 10-9 and stuff like that, so it was kind of tough to play. There were a lot of two-on-zero breakaways, backdoor [plays], so it was kind of tough." He is still considering Europe as an option if the lockout continues, so he'll keep a close eye on negotiations this week. Fleury is also looking forward to building a friendly relationship with new backup Tomas Vokoun, who he's only talked with a couple of times over the summer.