Penguins News

EASTERN METROPOLITAN

Bryan Rust • RW • Penguins

Bryan Rust Will Play Thursday

Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust (lower body) has been cleared to return to the lineup on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The in-form forward was a late scratch on Tuesday night against Detroit due to a lower-body injury. Rust was arguably Pittsburgh's best player in March. He has amassed eight goals and 12 assists over his last 16 appearances. Across the season, Rust has contributed 27 goals and 34 assists in 67 games. Avery Hayes filled in for Rust on Tuesday and will exit the lineup against Tampa Bay.

Yesterday

Evgeni Malkin • C • Penguins

Evgeni Malkin Ready for Action Tuesday

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin (upper body) is available to return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings, Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official site reports. The veteran star has missed four games due to an upper-body injury. Malkin should reclaim a top-six spot and work on the first power-play unit. Following a couple of underwhelming campaigns, Malkin has been a point-per-game player in 2025-26, amassing 15 goals and 37 assists in 50 appearances. However, he has gone back-to-back games without a point against the Red Wings.

3 days ago

Anthony Mantha • RW • Penguins

Anthony Mantha has Three-Point Performance on Monday

Pittsburgh Penguins left winger Anthony Mantha had two goals and one assist as the Penguins dominated their Metro division rival, the New York Islanders, on Monday. All three of his points came in a span of just four minutes late in the second period as the Penguins went from trailing 3-2 to leading 5-3. Mantha is having one of the best seasons of his career with 29 goals, 28 assists, and a plus-14 rating.

4 days ago

Evgeni Malkin • C • Penguins

Evgeni Malkin Misses Fourth Consecutive Game

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin (upper body) will remain sidelined on Monday against the New York Islanders, missing a fourth consecutive game. After practicing fully on Sunday, Malkin seems close to returning, but the team will have to do without him for at least one more game. His next chance to return will come on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings. With Malkin out, Thomas Novak will remain on the second line against the Islanders. Ben Kindel could also have a larger role in the contest, depending on Sidney Crosby's (lower body) status.

4 days ago

Sidney Crosby • C • Penguins

Sidney Crosby a Game-Time Decision Monday

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (lower body) is a game-time decision against the New York Islanders on Monday. He practiced fully on Sunday, which suggests that Crosby is ready to return after missing one game. However, the team hasn't yet fully committed to bringing Crosby back. The Islanders would certainly be happy if the Penguins captain sat out another game. Crosby has scored 140 points (44 goals, 96 assists) in 92 career regular-season games against the Islanders, his highest point total against a single team.

4 days ago

Sidney Crosby • C • Penguins

Sidney Crosby Practices Fully on Sunday

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (lower body) was a full participant in Sunday's practice and will travel with the team for Monday's road game against the New York Islanders. The Penguins captain missed Saturday's loss to Dallas due to a lower-body injury. However, it seems his absence might be limited to one game. Evgeni Malkin (upper body), who has missed three games, also practiced on Saturday. It has not been decided yet whether he will travel to Long Island. Having both Crosby and Malkin back would be huge for the Penguins, who are in the middle of a fierce playoff race in the Eastern Conference.

5 days ago

Sidney Crosby • C • Penguins

Sidney Crosby Suffers Lower-Body Injury Thursday

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby suffered a lower-body injury in Thursday's shootout win against the Ottawa Senators. He took only one shift in the second period. Penguins head coach Dan Muse didn't have an update on Crosby after the game. Crosby has posted a team-high 64 points (28 goals, 36 assists) in 61 games. this season Pittsburgh was already without Evgeni Malkin (upper body) for a second consecutive game on Thursday. Malkin is considered day-to-day and could be available to replace Crosby in the lineup if needed on Saturday against Dallas. Should both star centers miss the game, the Penguins would likely look to Kevin Hayes to fill the void.

Mar 27

Anthony Mantha • RW • Penguins

Anthony Mantha Good to Go Thursday

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Anthony Mantha (lower body) will play on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators. He skipped Wednesday's practice due to a lower-body injury but won't have to miss his first game of the season. With Evgeni Malkin (upper body) sidelined, Mantha currently plays a more important role for the Penguins. He's had a great year in Pittsburgh, with a career-high 53 points (26 goals, 27 assists) in 71 games. Ottawa's injury-ravaged blue line makes Thursday's game an appealing matchup for Mantha.

Mar 26

Anthony Mantha • RW • Penguins

Anthony Mantha Day-to-Day With Lower-Body Injury

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Anthony Mantha (lower body) didn't practice on Wednesday and is day-to-day, Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official site reports. The Penguins have just lost Evgeni Malkin (upper body) to injury and may now be without another key forward. Mantha replaced Malkin on the second line in Tuesday's loss to the Colorado Avalanche. He has recorded a career-high 53 points (26 goals, 27 assists) in 71 games. Kevin Hayes worked in Mantha's spot during Wednesday's practice and will play on Thursday if Mantha isn't available.

Mar 25

Evgeni Malkin • C • Penguins

Evgeni Malkin to Remain Out Thursday

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin (upper body) is not traveling with the team for Thursday's road game against the Ottawa Senators, Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official site reports. The Russian star will miss a second consecutive game with an upper-body injury. Malkin is averaging over a point per game for the first time in three seasons, sitting on 15 goals and 37 assists in 50 games. Ville Koivunen took Malkin's spot in the lineup on Tuesday against Colorado but didn't make an impact in 10:04 of ice time. Koivunen's usage may increase on Thursday depending on Anthony Mantha's (lower body) status.

Mar 25

Evgeni Malkin • C • Penguins

Evgeni Malkin Out Against Avalanche Tuesday

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin (upper body) has been ruled out for Tuesday's matchup with the Colorado Avalanche and is considered day-to-day. The Penguins were recently without Malkin for five games due to a suspension and must again cope with his absence. Anthony Mantha is expected to replace him on the second line, while Ville Koivunen was recalled from the minors to fill the void in the lineup. Mantha is having a career year with 26 goals and 53 points in 70 games. He will look to get going again on Tuesday after finishing back-to-back games without any points.

Mar 24

Sidney Crosby • C • Penguins

Sidney Crosby Returns to Action Wednesday

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (lower body) will rejoin the lineup for Wednesday's Metropolitan Division tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Penguins captain has missed 11 games due to a lower-body injury sustained during the Olympic tournament. Crosby will join Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust on the first line and will skate on the first power-play unit. The team will scratch Ville Koivunen to make room for Crosby in the lineup. Even with the time lost to injury, Crosby still leads his team with 27 goals and 59 points in 56 games.

Mar 18

Blake Lizotte • C • Penguins

Penguins Plan to Re-Evaluate Blake Lizotte in Four Weeks

Pittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte (upper body) will be re-evaluated in four weeks, the team announced. He was unavailable for Monday's matchup with Colorado, and it looks like Lizotte will miss the rest of the regular season. Lizotte has played well in a bottom-six role for the Penguins, recording 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists), 49 shots, 35 blocks, 49 hits, and a plus-six rating in 55 appearances. After recovering from an upper-body injury, Justin Brazeau took Lizotte's spot in the lineup on Monday.

Mar 18

Evgeni Malkin • C • Penguins

Evgeni Malkin Returns with Three-Point Effort

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin made a huge impact in his return from suspension on Monday, totaling two goals and an assist in a 7-2 road win over the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. Malkin potted two even-strength goals inside the opening 13 minutes and added a power-play assist late in the second period. His second goal of the night went down as the game-winning tally. Malkin had as many as three points in a single game for the third time this season, boosting his total to 50 points (15 goals, 35 assists) in 47 games. For the first time since 2022-23, Malkin is averaging at least one point per game, proving he still has plenty of juice left at 39.

Mar 17

Justin Brazeau • RW • Penguins

Justin Brazeau Out Week-to-Week

Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Justin Brazeau (upper body) is considered week-to-week, the team announced on Tuesday. Brazeau was out of the lineup for the second consecutive contest on Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes, joining Sidney Crosby (lower body) and Evgeni Malkin (suspension) on the sidelines. The Penguins' frontline looks incredibly thin right now, but they made Carolina work hard for two points on Tuesday, only losing 5-4 in a shootout. Bryan Rust and Egor Chinakhov, who skated on the first line with Rickard Rakell, combined for five points. Anthony Mantha and Ville Koivunen also performed well. Until Pittsburgh gets some players back, this group will need to maintain its strong play.

Mar 11

Evgeni Malkin • C • Penguins

Evgeni Malkin Suspended for Five Games

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin will sit out the next five games due to a suspension. The Russian star received his third career suspension for slashing Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in the head on Thursday. Malkin is enjoying his best season in three years, collecting 47 points (13 goals, 34 assists) in 48 contests. His suspension comes at an awful time for the Penguins, who are already without Sidney Crosby (lower body). On Friday, the team recalled Ville Koivunen from the AHL in anticipation of Malkin being suspended. Koivunen has averaged over a point per game in the minors and will now get a new opportunity to showcase his talent in the big league. Malkin will be eligible to return to the lineup on March 16 against the Colorado Avalanche.

Mar 7

Sidney Crosby • C • Penguins

Sidney Crosby Rejoins Practice Friday

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (lower body) returned to practice on Friday. He skated for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury at the Olympics. Last Wednesday, Crosby was ruled out for at least four weeks. However, it seems there's a chance the Penguins captain might return sooner. While it's great news for the Penguins and fantasy managers to see Crosby back on the ice Friday, he has not been cleared for contact and isn't expected to play during Pittsburgh's back-to-back set this weekend. With Crosby out, Thomas Novak held the top-line center spot in Thursday's loss to Buffalo, while Ben Kindel has also seen increased usage recently.

Mar 6

Elmer Soderblom • LW • Penguins

Penguins Acquire Elmer Soderblom

The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired forward Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2026 third-round draft pick. Soderblom has appeared in 39 games this season, scoring just two goals and occupying a minimal role on the team. The 24-year-old is signed through the 2026-27 season, and his contract has an average annual value of $1.125 million. Despite the move to the Penguins and a change of scenery, Soderblom is not on the fantasy radar outside of the deepest formats and dynasty leagues.

Mar 6

Blake Lizotte • C • Penguins

Blake Lizotte Unavailable Against Bruins

Pittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte (lower body) won't play against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now reports. He is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Lizotte has been part of Pittsburgh's highly effective fourth line, totaling six points (one goal, five assists) in his last seven appearances. He's had 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 49 games across the season. Kevin Hayes will rejoin the lineup on Tuesday, while Connor Dewar will take over the fourth-line center duties.

Mar 3

Bryan Rust • RW • Penguins

Bryan Rust With a Strong Two-Point Game

Pittsburgh Penguins right winger Bryan Rust had a goal and an assist, both on the power play, in Sunday afternoon's 5-0 win over the Golden Knights. He continued his strong play this year, as Rust now has 20 goals and 23 assists in 52 games played in the 2025-26 season. Rust has played very well on the power play in particular, with 20 power-play points, which is tied for the Penguins' lead with Sidney Crosby. His next match is on Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins.

Mar 1

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