Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin week-to-week with lower-body injury; Jesse Puljujarvi recalled
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Monday that center Evgeni Malkin will be out of the lineup week-to-week due to a lower-body injury. Following Malkin’s addition to the injured reserve, the Penguins made a corresponding roster move in recalling right winger Jesse Puljujarvi from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Facing the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, Malkin exited late in the first period and did not return. In all, Malkin was limited to three minutes in ice time. Skating in his 19th season with the Penguins, the 38-year-old Russian-born forward has made 47 appearances in which he has collected nine goals and 25 assists for 34 points to sit fourth in team scoring.
Originally chosen second overall by the Penguins in the 2004 NHL Draft, Malkin’s time in Pittsburgh has counted 1,192 career contests in which he has tallied 507 goals with 823 assists for 1,330 points to rank third in franchise scoring behind Mario Lemieux and teammate Sidney Crosby. Through it all, Malkin has raised the Stanley Cup on three occasions, while his other accolades include two-time Art Ross Trophy recognition as well as the 2009 Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
For Puljujarvi, the 26-year-old forward returns to the Penguins following 25 appearances with the club earlier this season in which he recorded three goals and six assists for nine points. Meanwhile, Puljujarvi’s time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has seen him score at a point-per-game pace as he has recorded one goal and two assists through three showings. Skating in his second season with the Penguins, Puljujarvi wrapped up 2023-24 with four points in 22 games.
The fourth-overall selection from the 2016 NHL Draft, Puljujarvi has seen 381 total appearances counting stops with the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Penguins in which he has registered 57 goals and 70 assists for 127 points.
Entering Monday’s contest against the San Jose Sharks, the Penguins sit 20-23-8 and seven points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second wildcard seed in the Eastern Conference.