Penguins' Evgeni Malkin out long-term with lower-body injury
NHL team also loses fellow centre Nick Bjugstad in Saturday win over Columbus
Two games into a new NHL season and the Pittsburgh Penguins have lost centre Evgeni Malkin for an indefinite period with a lower-body injury.
Malkin tripped over the skate of teammate and defenceman Kris Letang near centre ice at 8:04 of the second period in Saturday's 7-2 win over Columbus and then collided with Blue Jackets blue-liner Vladislav Gavrikov, falling awkwardly into the boards. Soon after, he was spotted limping down the runway at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh and didn't return for the third period.
The play that sent Malkin to the dressing room. Status is DTD until we hear more. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetGoPens?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetGoPens</a> <a href="https://t.co/FM4RNVsnSC">pic.twitter.com/FM4RNVsnSC</a>
—@ThriveSANPenguins head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters Monday that the 33-year-old Russian's injury is not season-threatening but that he would be out longer than fellow centre Nick Bjugstad, who exited Saturday's game in the third period with an undisclosed injury.
The 1-1-0 Penguins, who host Winnipeg on Tuesday, are without their second- and third-line centres and had Jared McCann skating on the second line in Malkin's absence at Monday's workout while Zach Aston-Reese filled in for Bjugstad.
Penguins' forward combinations at practice: Guentzel-Crosby-Simon, Galchenyuk-McCann-Tanev and Aston-Reese-Blueger-Hornqvist/Kahun. Only 10 forwards available for this workout because of the Malkin and Bjugstad injuries.
—@MolinariPGHOnly once in the past six seasons has the three-time all-star played at least 75 games.
Aggressive trader
With Penguins forward Bryan Rust, who scored 18 goals last season, on long-term injured reserve, Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford soon will have some salary cap space available.
Malkin walked out to the bench in street clothes about 10 minutes before Monday's practice and, with two feet on the bench, stickhandled on the ice for less than a minute before returning to the dressing room.
Pittsburgh, with only 10 healthy forwards on Monday, were expected to summon two forwards from their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre Scranton, Pa., before Tuesday's contest. Sam Lafferty, Andrew Agozzino and Adam Johnson are among their options.