PITTSBURGH — Sidney Crosby’s return date from a concussion is still unknown. Evgeni Malkin is headed toward surgery and won’t play again until next season. Chris Kunitz is day to day, and Mike Comrie, Mark Letestu and Arron Asham are all sidelined with various injuries.
At least the Penguins know for sure when forward Matt Cooke will return to the lineup. He’ll be back once he’s done serving a four-game suspension, brought down by the NHL on Wednesday.
Cooke, who will miss games against the Kings, Islanders, Rangers and Avalanche (Wednesday), was suspended a day after he hit Blue Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin from behind in a 4-1 loss. Tyutin was sent face-first into the boards.
Malkin, the 2009 NHL scoring champion, will have surgery today to repair a torn ACL and torn MCL in his right knee.
Drury out six weeks with knee injury
NEW YORK — Chris Drury will undergo surgery on his left knee and is expected to miss at least six weeks, putting the rest of the season in jeopardy for the Rangers captain.
“That guy has played hard for a long time and I just think it’s worn on him,” coach John Tortorella said. “It certainly hasn’t been getting better.”
Footnotes.
Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson will be sidelined indefinitely because of a lingering lower back injury.
• Islanders rookie goalie Kevin Poulin will miss the rest of the season after hurting his knee during warm-ups Tuesday.
• Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov has been suspended for three games by the NHL for elbowing Carolina’s Zach Boychuk in the head Tuesday.
• Florida sent forward Michael Frolik and goalie Alexander Salak to Chicago for forward Jack Skille and two prospects.
• The Maple Leafs sent defenseman Francois Beauchemin to the Ducks for winger Joffrey Lupul, prospect Jake Gardiner and a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2013.
The Associated Press
