Bryan Allen doubtful for Ducks’ season opener against Penguins

Ducks defenseman Bryan Allen was ruled doubtful for Thursday’s regular-season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins with an unspecified lower-body injury.

By keeping eight defensemen on the final roster announced Tuesday, the Ducks have enough depth to account for the absence of veteran Allen, who was point-less in four preseason games, racking up 14 penalty minutes with a minus-two goal differential while playing.

The Ducks on Thursday will also know more on the status of defenseman Cam Fowler, who fell to the ice in practice last week and returned to skating Monday. Fowler said his return is a “day-to-day thing.”

In Saturday’s preseason finale, free-agent acquisition Clayton Stoner played in Fowler’s place on the first defensive pair with Ben Lovejoy. If Fowler is unable to go, that duo is expected to remain intact.

If Fowler plays, Stoner would drop to the third defensive pair with Sami Vatanen, who had a goal and two assists during the preseason.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Allen, 34, played in 68 regular-season games last season, with no goals and 10 assists.

Also Wednesday, Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau continued to remain coy about whether Pittsburgh-raised 21-year-old John Gibson will start as goalie Thursday, or if it’ll be second-year goalie Frederik Andersen, who won two preseason games to Gibson’s zero and was 20-5 in net last regular season.

The starter is expected to be revealed at Thursday’s morning skate here.