After a 15-game absence, Evgeni Malkin is back in the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ lineup.
Pittsburgh announced Thursday that it has activated the 39-year-old centre ahead of its game against the New Jersey Devils.
Malkin has been on the injured reserve since Dec. 9 with an upper-body injury. The exact nature of the injury and how it was caused are unclear.
Through 26 games this season, Malkin has produced eight goals and a team-leading 21 assists while being a key driver for the Penguins’ offence. He is in the final season of his contract with Pittsburgh.
Malkin participated in a full-contact practice with the Penguins for the first time since hitting the IR on Tuesday.
“The best feeling,” he said after, per NHL.com. “You have more fun. When you skate alone, it’s not great. But (it was) a good day for me. I mean, tough, a little bit, but again, I’m happy to be back with the team (and) enjoy those guys.”
The Penguins will enter Thursday night’s contest against New Jersey as one of the hottest teams in the NHL. Pittsburgh has won five straight and six of its last seven — a stretch that immediately followed an eight-game losing streak.
The recent run has lifted the Penguins to 20-12-9 on the season, good for the final wild-card position in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
