The Penguins have not yet indicated where they will play Monday’s NHL trade deadline pick-up Jeff Carter. Unfortunately, they have a few possibilities.
Speaking with reporters about the Carter trade, general manager Ron Hextall provided injury updates about three important forwards presently on injured reserve, including Evgeni Malkin. None of them will return imminently.
Hextall on Monday expressed optimism that Malkin, out with a knee injury, will return by the end of the regular season but was noncommittal. He added that Malkin’s linemate Kasperi Kapanen is about 10-14 days away from returning.
But Hextall shared discouraging news about Brandon Tanev, the energetic role player who suffered an upper-body injury in Boston on April 4. Hextall said the Penguins don’t expect to get Tanev back in their lineup until the postseason.
“That’s a difficult question,” he said, adding, “That’s a tough injury to judge.”
Tanev was arguably amidst his best NHL season prior to suffering his second injury of 2021. The 29-year-old had seven goals, 16 points and a plus-12 rating in 32 games while also ranking fourth in the NHL in hits when he got hurt in Boston.
Tanev also missed six games in March with an upper-body injury. It’s not clear if that injury is related to the one that will apparently sideline him into May.
Matt Vensel: mvensel@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mattvensel.
First Published: April 12, 2021, 10:18 p.m.
