NHL Player News

Malkin received a five-game suspension Friday for slashing the Sabres' Rasmus Dahlin in Thursday's contest.

Malkin will be out until March 16 versus the Avalanche. Malkin's slash was particularly egregious, as it was toward the head of Dahlin, which likely factors into the significant length of this suspension. Sidney Crosby (lower body) is also out currently, so the Penguins will be getting a taste of the future without the two franchise cornerstones available over the next week-plus.

Kane (illness) will play Friday versus the Blackhawks, Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650 reports.

Kane was initially not expected to play, but he'll be back in action. The 34-year-old is slated for third-line duties and should also factor in on the power play.

Knight (illness) won't suit up for Friday's game versus the Canucks, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports.

Knight will miss at least one game, and Arvid Soderblom will start Friday. Caydon Edwards is the emergency backup goalie for this contest but shouldn't be expected to see the ice unless Soderblom gets hurt. Knight's status for Sunday in Dallas is not yet clear, but the Blackhawks would likely dip into their depth at AHL Rockford if he is still sick over the weekend.

Andersen will protect the road goal versus the Oilers on Friday, Adam Gold of 99.9 The Fan reports.

Andersen is getting the first half of a back-to-back and the harder matchup of the Hurricanes' two games in Alberta. He will be starting for the third time in four games, having allowed four goals on 44 shots over his last two outings. Brandon Bussi will likely get the nod Saturday versus the Flames.

Soderblom will guard the home goal versus the Canucks on Friday, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Soderblom will get a start in a soft matchup against the NHL's worst team. The 26-year-old posted a 22-save shutout over the Mammoth in his last outing. This is the kind of game where Soderblom is a viable streaming and DFS option for fantasy managers.

Rantanen (lower body) will not resume skating for 7-10 days, Sam Nestler of DLLS Stars reports Friday.

Rantanen will likely be out at least another two weeks at this point, with a return in the last week or so of March looking most likely if the rest of his recovery is smooth. The 29-year-old has already missed four games and will likely be sidelined for another eight or more. Mavrik Bourque continues to get top-six minutes in Rantanen's absence.

Faksa sustained a lower-body injury while rehabbing his upper-body injury sustained during the Olympics, Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine reports Friday.

Faksa is now expected to be out until near the end of the regular season. The Stars added Michael Bunting ahead of the trade deadline, but Faksa's ongoing absence should help Oskar Back and Colin Blackwell maintain steady roles in the lineup for a while.

Samanski was reassigned to AHL Bakersfield on Friday, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports.

Samanski was likely to have a tough time getting playing time after the Oilers traded for Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach. This move allows Samanski to continue developing with the Condors, while another veteran could be called up for forward depth.

McMann (immigration) isn't expected to be with the Kraken for Saturday's game versus the Senators, Alison Lukan of the Kraken Hockey Network reports.

It will take a few days for McMann's visa paperwork to get approved so that he can join the Kraken. The 29-year-old's status beyond Saturday has not yet been determined. The Kraken will be fine for Saturday, as they already have a full complement of healthy forwards on the roster.

Paul (undisclosed) is still out for a week or two, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports Friday.

Paul remains on long-term injured reserve, but a timeline has been established. It's unclear if he's resumed on-ice activities at this time, but he should be able to soon. The 30-year-old will likely be a middle-six option once he is healthy again.