Rakell, 21, had three assists in 17 games with the Ducks before being sent down. In two games with Norfolk, Rakell tallied ones goal and three assists. He has been recalled because Corey Perry is out with a knee injury.
Letang will miss his fourth consecutive game with a groin injury this afternoon. However, the fact that he skated this morning suggests that he could join the Penguins for practice next week, which is the next step in returning to the lineup.
Rust, 22, was the Penguins third round pick (80th overall) in 2010. His recall likely means that Patric Hornqvist’s injury last night will keep him sidelined for a little while at least. Rust has 11 points (7G / 4A) in 22 games with WBS.
Letang’s “minor lower-body injury” is not looking so minor anymore. Coach Johnston said that it will be about two weeks, so we will consider him out for 10-14 days. Christian Ehrhoff and Olli Maatta get a bump in fantasy value with the extended power-play time they will see.
The Penguins originally called Letang’ injury a minor lower-body ailment, but a groin injury is a little more serious than minor, just for the fact they are so difficult to manage. There is no word on when the Penguins expect to get Letang back in the lineup.
The move is likely retroactive to November 28th, which means that Letang will miss Thursday’s game vs. the Canucks as well, because he is not eligible to be activated until Friday. The Penguins called it a “minor lower-body injury” so he could be back on Saturday vs. the Senators.
Head coach Mike Johnston said that Crosby is “under the weather” and undergoing some testing. Monitor Crosby’s status throughout the day, but I wouldn’t expect Crosby to sit due to an illness.
Letang will miss his second straight game with what the Penguins called a “minor lower-body” injury. With Letang sidelined, Robert Bortuzzo will stay in the lineup. Letang is considered day-to-day.
Letang missed Saturday’s game with what the Penguins called a “minor lower-body injury”. While the word minor would suggest he won’t miss a lot of time, however his absence this morning suggests he could miss tomorrow’s game vs. New Jersey.
There is no word on if Letang suffered and injury. He could have been injured in warmups. Robert Bortuzzo will be in the lineup.
Mantha has been sidelined since mid-September with a fractured tibia. He has been cleared to do some practice drills this week and the Red Wings are hoping he will make his pro hockey debut with Grand Rapids in a couple of weeks. The Red Wings are always patient with their prospects so Mantha will have to get his feet wet with the Griffins, before he can even consider making his NHL debut.
Hayes was one of the last players on the ice at the Rangers morning skate which suggests he will serve as a healthy scratch tonight vs. Minnesota. He was also bumped off of the power-play, which is another sign that he will not play. Ryan Malone is expected to take his spot in the lineup, with Martin St. Louis moving to his spot as the first line centre. Hayes has one goal and one assist in six games.
Well there you go, first year head coach Mike Johnston all but guarenteed that Malkin will return from his lower-body injury and play the right wing on the Penguins second line with Pascal Dupuis and Brandon Sutter.
Malkin missed all of the preseason but has been practicing the last two days and says he thinks he will play when the Penguins open up their season on Thursday vs. the Ducks. Health has been a concern for Malkin in recent years (missed 85 games in 4 years), but talent definitely is not a concern. He had 23 goals and 49 assists (72 points) in 60 games last season.
Malkin has said that he has a 50/50 chance of playing on Thursday, but should be back by Saturday if he can't play tomorrow. Expect another update after this morning's skate.
Malkin who has played centre for the vast majority of his career is expected to start the season on the wing under new head coach Mike Johnston. Malkin is still questionable for Thursday's season opener, but when he gets in the lineup, be prepared to see him on the wing.
Dumba, 20, played 13 games with the Wild last season before being sent back to juniors. He has cracked the Wild opening day roster and will play on the third pair with Christian Folin, but will also lineup on the top power-play unit next to Ryan Suter. If he can lock this spot down, he makes for a great pick-up and sleeper candidate. The second-year D-man has a ton of offensive talent, evidenced by his 24 points (8G / 16A) in 26 games with the Portland Winterhawks (WHL) last season.
Malkin skated with the Sidney Crosby and Patric Honrqvist this morning and said that he is feeling good, just a little out of shape. He added that if he doesn't play in the opener on Thursday, he expects to be in the lineup on Saturday vs. the Maple Leafs. This is great news for the Penguins and Malkin owners.
Being used on the wing suggests that Malkin was simply filling in for Chris Kunitz and may not be ready for Thursday's season opener. Malkin missed the preseason with a lower-body injury, but his status should be monitored over the next two days.
Details on Malkin's injury have been very vague. Six days ago head coach Mike Johnson originally said that Malkin would be out four or five more days, so it appears that Malkin's recovery is on schedule. Malkin has battled injuries throughout his career, so this is not the way he wanted to start the 2014-15 season. The Penguins start their season on Thusday, so monitor Malkin's status as the season approaches.
