Letang has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury but was on the ice for today’s morning skate and will be a game-time decision in Philadelphia. Letang’s offensive numbers are strong this season, posting two goals and 23 assists (25 points) in 37 games but is a minus-15, which lowers his value in leagues that track plus-minus.
Letang took the ice for the Penguins morning skate but stayed on late which indicates that he will be scratched for the third consecutive game. Being available this morning suggests that Letang may be ready for Tuesday’s game in Philadelphia.
Mantha was on the ice for the Red Wings morning skate and said that he is feeling better, but won't play tonight. Mantha is hopeful that he will return on Wednesday and his absence tonight means Tyler Bertuzzi will remain on the top line.
Mantha is dealing with a “nagging” injury according to head coach Jeff Blashill, leaving him as a game-time decision vs. the Rangers. Monitor Mantha’s status when the Red Wings hit the ice for warmups at 7:00 pm ET.
Rust left Wednesday’s game with an upper-body injury and the Penguins announced that he will be out “longer term.” The Penguins will likely have to dig into their farm system to find some forward depth with Rust out.
Letang will miss his second straight game with a lower-body injury but it doesn’t sound like he will be sidelined for an extended period of time because the Penguins expect him to join the team at some point during their brief three-game road trip.
Aho has recorded nine goals and 11 assists (20 points) in 29 games with the Sound Tigers in his first season in North America. The Swedish defenseman could make his NHL debut with Johnny Boychuk (lower-body) landing on IR on Thursday.
Rust departed the game after recording an assist in 10:06 TOI and did not return. The Penguins did not provide and update on Rust’s status so consider him questionable for Friday’s game in Carolina.
Letang has had injury issues throughout his career but has appeared in the first 37 games of 2017-18 prior to missing tonight’s game. With Letang out, Matt Hunwick will draw back into the lineup and play on the top pairing with Brian Dumoulin. Olli Maatta will slide in on the top power-play unit.
Rakell has missed the last five games with an upper-body injury but was back on the ice for Monday’s practice, a sign that he may be back in the lineup Tuesday in Vegas. The Ducks returning Kalle Kossila to San Diego (AHL) is a sign that he’ll play tomorrow.
Malkin has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury but it looks like he will return to the lineup tonight in Buffalo. Malkin has registered seven goals and 14 assists (21 points) in 22 games this season and should be active in all formats if he plays tonight.
Malkin has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury, but the Penguins called him day-to-day this afternoon and announced that he will travel with the team to Buffalo. There’s no word whether or not Malkin will actually return to the lineup, but this is positive news that the centre is close to playing.
Kulak was a healthy scratch on Saturday but he will replace Matt Bartkowski in the lineup tonight vs. Toronto. Kulak has just three assists in 14 games this season.
