NHL Player News

Sturm (lower body) will miss Friday's tilt against Utah, per Max Miller of NHL.com.

Sturm also missed the Sharks' previous two outings. He has four goals and nine points in 36 appearances this season. Sturm might serve on the fourth line once he's healthy.

Monahan's wrist isn't fractured, but he's dealing with a sprain. The severity of his injury hasn't been determined, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports Friday.

Monahan was placed on injured reserve after sustaining the injury during Tuesday's 4-3 shootout win over Pittsburgh and is expected to be unavailable for at least 7-10 days. However, he might end up missing longer than that depending on the grade of his wrist sprain. Monahan is waiting for the swelling to go down before undergoing the tests necessary to get that information. In the meantime, Luca Del Bel Belluz is up from the minors and is expected to serve in a middle-six capacity during Monahan's absence.

Pettersson (undisclosed) was taken off injured reserve ahead of Friday's matchup with Carolina.

Pettersson's return to action will almost certainly see him retake a top-six role in addition to linking up with the No. 1 power-play unit. Prior to his six-game absence, the 26-year-old center was struggling offensively with just two points in his last seven appearances. At this point, Pettersson should probably be expected to miss the 80-point mark for the first time since 2021-22 but could still push for 60 if he gets out of his funk soon.

Roy (upper body) won't be in the lineup against the Rangers on Saturday, per Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Roy is set to miss his 11th consecutive game. He has six goals and 13 points in 31 outings in 2024-25. When healthy, Roy should serve in a middle-six capacity and receive some power-play ice time.

Malkin (upper body) is still considered day-to-day ahead of a back-to-back set against the Senators and Lightning on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official site reports.

While Malkin has practiced for two straight days, he hasn't been a full participant during line rushes, which raises doubts regarding his availability heading into Saturday's tilt. Still, once the world-class center is given the green light, he should retake his spot on the second line while returning to the No. 2 power-play unit.

Rakell scored a goal and blocked four shots in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Oilers.

Rakell's tally 3:19 into the game was the first of four goals by the Penguins in the opening frame. Things calmed down later, and the Penguins were able to hold on for a win to snap a four-game skid. Despite the poor team results lately, Rakell has been on a tear with 11 goals and nine assists over his last 15 contests. Overall, he has 21 tallies, 15 assists, 103 shots on net, 71 hits, 48 blocked shots and a minus-5 rating through 43 appearances, thriving as a two-way forward on the top line. He's one point away from matching his total from 70 outings in 2023-24.

Frost scored a goal and blocked four shots in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Stars.

Frost's third-period tally prevented a shutout for Casey DeSmith. While he hasn't produced at an elite level, Frost has four goals and three assists over his last 10 outings, which has been enough to keep him in the lineup in a middle-six capacity. He has 19 points, 63 shots on net, 30 blocked shots and a minus-12 rating through 38 appearances this season.

Stankoven provided an assist, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Flyers.

Stankoven has been limited to four assists over 17 contests since the start of December. The 21-year-old has somewhat gotten lost in the shuffle, as the Stars' top six started to click in January with Stankoven filling a third-line role. He has 19 points, 103 shots on net, 25 hits and a plus-1 rating over 38 appearances. It's part of the price of being a rookie on a contending team -- Stankoven will play in whatever spot most benefits the team's results even if it's not ideal for his individual production.

Bourque scored a goal on four shots in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Flyers.

Bourque opened the scoring at 1:45 of the first period. He's picked up a goal and an assist over his last two games -- it's the first time he's gotten on the scoresheet in consecutive contests at the NHL level. The 23-year-old rookie has three goals, six helpers, 37 shots on net and an even plus-minus rating through 35 appearances.

Johnston scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Flyers.

Johnston stretched the Stars' lead to 3-0 in the second period. The offensive side of Johnston's stat line is all round numbers -- he has 10 goals and 20 assists over 40 contests this season, including 13 points over his last 11 games. The 21-year-old forward has added 111 shots on net, seven power-play points and a plus-8 rating while consistently seeing top-six minutes.