The Pittsburgh Penguins are hanging onto a Wild Card spot in the tight Eastern Conference. Despite expectations of landing in the draft lottery early in the season, the veteran-heavy squad is putting together a playoff push. Penguins legend Evgeni Malkin has been out for over a month with an upper-body injury and says he'll do anything to get back in the lineup.
“I can move to defense, goalie, if the coach wants it,” Malkin told NHL.com's Wes Crosby. “I don’t care. I just want to play, you know?”
Malkin was a full participant in Tuesday's practice ahead of Thursday's matchup against the New Jersey Devils. Malkin spoke about getting back on the ice with his teammates. “The best feeling. You have more fun. When you skate alone, it’s not great. But [it was] a good day for me. I mean, tough, a little bit, but again, I’m happy to be back with the team [and] enjoy those guys. One more practice tomorrow and, like, I hope [to return] this week.”
Malkin was sensational for the Penguins before hitting the shelf with an injury. In 26 games, he has 29 points at 39 years old. Malkin's contract expires after this season, meaning it could be the end of his run in Pittsburgh. But Kyle Dubas won't be selling at the trade deadline if they keep pushing for a playoff spot.
The Penguins have already made multiple trades this year, including adding a player. They flipped Tristan Jarry for Stuart Skinner, adding Brett Kulak and a second-round pick in the process. Then, they traded two draft picks and Danton Heinen to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Egor Chinakhov. Those deals show that the Penguins are not ready to start selling and tumbling toward the bottom.
The Penguins face the struggling Devils on Thursday night in New Jersey.
