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Penguins' Evgeni Malkin Ruled Out for a Week Following Roster Move

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Jan 13, 2025 8:30 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Sunday that star center Evgeni Malkin has been placed on injured reserve due to an upper-body injury.

The move ensures the 38-year-old will miss at least seven days, per the NHL rulebook, including the Penguins next three games following Sunday’s 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

According to Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan described the move as "procedural," allowing the team to activate forward Philip Tomasino from injured reserve.

Malkin, who last played on Jan. 5 at the Carolina Hurricanes, has missed four games since sustaining the injury.

The second-line center participated in the morning skate before the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, but was ultimately scratched for the matchup, ending a streak of 209 consecutive games — the 12th-longest in franchise history.

Sullivan labeled Malkin as "day-to-day" on Sunday but did not provide a specific timeline for his return.

The veteran forward has been a key contributor for the Penguins this season, tallying eight goals and 24 assists in 41 games.

Tomasino, acquired in a November trade with Nashville, returned to the ice on Sunday after a lower-body injury sidelined him for four games with the forward missing all matchups played after Jan. 3.

The 23-year-old has played solid hockey since arriving in Pittsburgh, recording four goals and seven points in 17 games while filling a top-six role averaging 13:36 minutes per game.

Also per Sullivan,

-Evgeni Malkin going on injured reserve is more procedural to activate Philip Tomasino for injured reserve. Malkin remains day to day.

-Tomasino is available to play today.

-Tristan Jarry is in the hill today.
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) January 12, 2025

Malkin’s absence, however, was evident Sunday as Pittsburgh fell to Tampa Bay in its second loss in a row and third in their last four games, all of them without the veteran.

The Penguins are 18-19-8 following their latest loss, but the team is only two points out of the second wild-card spot currently occupied by the 20-17-6 Columbus Blue Jackets.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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