Evgeni Malkin (Upper Body) Skates, Remains Out for Road Trip

Evgeni Malkin (upper body) participated in practice Friday wearing a non-contact jersey, indicating a positive step in his recovery. However, he will not travel with the Pittsburgh Penguins for their upcoming two-game road trip. While this is progress, Malkin does not appear to be significantly closer to returning to the lineup. Thomas Novak continues to fill in as the second-line center in his absence and is expected to drop to the bottom-six upon Malkin's return.