Demoted defenseman Simon Despres is still in the future plans of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despres was demoted when defensemen Paul Martin, Kris Letang and Robert Scuderi returned to action, giving the Pens too many blueliners. "Where he is right now, in terms of his career, he's in a good spot," GM Ray Shero said. "In terms of the progression he's made and his maturity, on and off the ice, I think that's coming. Even though he's not [in the NHL now], we still believe he's a very good prospect for us and will be an NHL player, for sure." The 22-year-old was the Penguins first round pick and 30th overall in the 2009 Draft.