Injured Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin joined his teammates for a practice session in Cranberry on Friday. Operating in a non-contact capacity, Malkin participated in a practice or morning skate for the first time since he suffered an undisclosed injury that landed him on injured reserve Dec. 9.
Evgeni Malkin strides into practice like a white (non-contact) knight: pic.twitter.com/amrRYtCYb5
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) January 2, 2026
According to coach Dan Muse, Malkin’s status remains “week to week,” but his presence was “a good step in the right direction.” Muse noted Malkin will not travel with the team for an upcoming two-game road trip against the Detroit Red Wings (Saturday) and Columbus Blue Jackets (Sunday).
Malkin has missed the past 13 games due to his malady.
Typically stationed as center of the second line and on the first power-play unit, Malkin has played in 26 games this season and posted 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) while averaging 17:30 of ice time.
Notes:
The team’s lines and pairings during Friday’s practice were:
67 Rickard Rakell – 87 Sidney Crosby – 17 Bryan Rust
39 Anthony Mantha – 18 Tommy Novak – 16 Justin Brazeau
59 Yegor Chinakhov – 81 Ben Kindel – 2 Rutger McGroarty
19 Connor Dewar – 46 Blake Lizotte – 55 Noel Acciari
13 Kevin Hayes – 71 Evgeni Malkin – 41 Ville Koivunen
28 Parker Wotherspoon – 65 Erik Karlsson
77 Brett Kulak – 58 Kris Letang
5 Ryan Shea – 75 Connor Clifton – 3 Jack St. Ivany
