When Phil Kessel talks, it’s wise to listen.
“He should be there, obviously,” Kessel said after practice Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, speaking of center Evgeni Malkin’s inexplicable omission from the NHL 100 list.
“I’m pretty sure he’s one of the top 100 players of all time. It is what it is. In my book, he is.”
Turns out Penguins co-owner Mario Lemieux wasn’t the only one who found it a bit curious that Malkin wasn’t on the list. Several of Malkin’s teammates had no problem voicing their displeasure at the fact that Malkin wasn’t on it.
“He’s in my top 100, but I guess he’s not on other peoples’ lists,” Trevor Daley said. “It stinks for him. He’s definitely deserving of it.”
Malkin has been to seven All-Star Games and is a three-time first-teamer, but here’s where the conversation should have started and ended.
Malkin, along with Lemieux and Bobby Orr, are the only three players in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup, the Art Ross, Hart and Calder trophies and the Ted Lindsay Award.
“I would love to have seen him there,” Sidney Crosby said, striking a familiar, diplomatic tone. “When you look at that list, I’m sure there’s always going to be debate about who should be on and who shouldn’t. I was proud to be a part of it. That’s the thing with lists like that. Everyone’s always going to debate it.”
Health updates
• Center Matt Cullen took part in an uptempo, hour-long workout before practice along with defenseman Steve Oleksy. Cullen injured his foot blocking a shot Jan. 16 and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks. Three weeks would fall next Monday.
• Defenseman Kris Letang, out since suffering a lower-body injury Jan. 14 at Detroit, was a full participant in practice, turning and cutting with ease. Coach Mike Sullivan said Letang would be a game-time decision tonight against Nashville at PPG Paints Arena.
• Malkin (lower-body) took part in an off-ice workout before practice. It’s unlikely he’ll play Tuesday given that he’s yet to progress into skating.
Rowney relishing chance
With Malkin out, Carter Rowney skated between Carl Hagelin and Patric Hornqvist at practice.
“I was pretty shocked to see that lineup,” Rowney said. “They’re both great players. They both can bring some speed, especially Hagelin. He can fly down that wall.”
Call up earlier Monday, Rowney has produced 10 goals and 21 points in 26 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Sullivan likes Rowney’s two-way game, feels he can kill penalties and wanted to see how he responded to being between Hagelin and Hornqvist.
“If he were to play with those guys, we think that could be a very good line for us,” Sullivan said. “There’s a lot of elements to that line.”
Pittsburgh leads way
Pittsburgh was the top market to watch the NHL All-Star Game Sunday in Los Angeles, posting a 6.1 rating. Second was Buffalo at 5.3. This marks the second year of the three-on-three format, and no doubt having Crosby there helped a ton. Overall, viewership of the game on NBC was up 42 percent (2.262 million) over a year ago (1.595 million), a big part of that being the move from NBCSN to NBC. The broadcast’s increased viewership made it the most watched NHL All-Star Game since 2004.
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: January 31, 2017, 5:00 a.m.
