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.
It appeared as if Ouellet was going to crack the Red Wings opening day roster when he was paired with Kyle Quincey in practice for the second straight day. Shortly thereafter he was sent back to the Griffins. Head coach Mike Babcock really wanted Ouellet on the roster, but GM Ken Holland didn't want him on the team at the expense of Brian Lashoff and Jakub Kindl, who were both set to be healthy scratches.
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.
Malkin missed his second straight day of training camp on Friday, but he is expected to be ready to go for the start of the season. The Penguins announced on Thursday that Malkin is only dealing with a minor injury.
The Penguins announced on Thursday that he would be held out of the early portion of camp as a precautionary measure as he recovers from a minor undisclosed injury. Crosby is coming off of his healthiest season in four years, so it is a great sign to see him back on the ice right away. The injury is reportedly not related to the wrist injury he decided not to get surgery on this summer.
Mantha, 20, is the reigning CHL player of the year after scoring 57 goals and 63 assists (120 points) in 57 games with Val d'Or (QMJHL). Mantha had a great chance to make the Red Wings out of training camp, but now will likely start in the AHL when he returns in late-October/early-November.
There was a lot of talk about Crosby requiring surgery this offseason, but after further evaluation the Penguins have determined that he will continue to get treatment, but avoid surgery.
"Sidney Crosby has been undergoing treatment on a right wrist injury that he suffered during the season," general manager Jim Rutherford said in a statement. "Sid is getting medical advice to determine the best path moving forward, including the possibility of arthroscopic surgery. No final decision has been made on surgery at this point. We expect to have a decision by early next week." After leading the League in scoring during the regular season (36 goals, 68 assists), Crosby had one goal and eight points in 13 playoff games.
It was been a tough season for Letang. He dealt with a knee injury to start the season, an elbow infection in December and January and then of course his stroke in February. Now Letang's latest injuries to his foot and hand, I'm sure he will be happy to relax his banged up body over the offseason.
It is believed that Carter took the day off to rest some bumps and bruises after a physical seven-game series vs. the Sharks. Monitor Carter's status as pregame warmups start at 7:30 p.m ET. If he plays expect him to skate on the second line between Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli.
The Pens will continue to keep Neal and Letang relegated to the second powerplay unit.
Malkin was on the ice for the morning skate taking line rushes with Jussi Jokinen and James Neal. His participation in the morning skate suggests that he will be good to go tonight in game 1 vs. the Blue Jackets.
Crosby missed Sunday's game in Colorado, but will be back in tonight vs. the Red Wings. This could be a preview of the Penguins first-round playoff matchup. Two of Crosby's 36 goals this season have come vs. the Red Wings. Obviously, when he is available, he is in your lineup.
Letang has not played since January 27th after suffering a stroke in early February. He has been skating with the team since the middle of March, but will finally return tonight after a 10-week absence. He has 18 points (10G / 8A) in 34 games this season, but it is tough to expect him to tear it up in the remaining three games. However, this is a huge boost for the Penguins for the playoffs.
The Penguins announced that they will not have Crosby tonight due to an upper-body injury. His injury is not believed to be serious according to head coach Dan Bylsma. Consider Crosby day-to-day.
