Evgeni Malkin Ruled Out Against Golden Knights With Lower-Body Injury

Evgeni Malkin will not play for the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday because of a lower-body injury, the NHL reported.

Malkin participated in Pittsburgh’s optional morning skate after missing Monday’s practice. He remains day-to-day, so taking the ice Tuesday did not amount to clearance for the game.

The Penguins host Vegas at 7 p.m. EST. Malkin ranks second on Pittsburgh with 11 points, including six goals and five assists, in 13 games this season. He played 17:54 in the Penguins’ 5–4 loss at Montreal on October 31.

Pittsburgh has another forward available after Justin Brazeau returned from a conditioning assignment with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He recorded one assist in two American Hockey League games after recovering from a preseason lower-body injury.

Brazeau could make his season debut against Vegas. His availability adds an option for Pittsburgh while Malkin is out; the report does not identify him as Malkin’s direct replacement.

The current absence concerns a lower-body injury. Malkin’s earlier October illness was a separate availability episode, and Tuesday’s report does not supply a longer recovery estimate.