Penguins' Evgeni Malkin Suspended 5 Games By NHL for Slashing Sabres' Rasmus Dahlin in Head

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin has been suspended five games for slashing Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin the head, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Friday.

The incident took place Thursday after Dahlin cross-checked Malkin during the second period of the Sabres' 5-1 win in Pittsburgh.

Dahlin was given a minor penalty on the play, while Malkin was assessed a five-minute major.

Malkin was serving as the Penguins' first-line center in the absence of Sidney Crosby, who has not played since suffering a lower-body injury during the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

His suspension could leave the Penguins without their top two players for a busy upcoming stretch that includes a weekend back-to-back against the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins followed by three road games in five days.

Crosby returned to Penguins practice Friday, although head coach Dan Muse told reporters the captain was participating in a non-contact capacity and his return timeline hadn't changed.

The Penguins said back on Feb. 25 that Crosby, who was injured in Milan on Feb. 18, would be re-evaluated in four weeks.

Malkin's place in the lineup could be taken in the short term by AHL winger Ville Koivunen, who was called up Friday on an emergency basis.

Tommy Novak, who has been centering Malkin amid his transition to wing this season, will center the Penguins' top line in the short term.

The Penguins have been skating with winger Rickard Rakell centering the second line in Crosby's absence, while rookie Ben Kindel and Blake Lizotte will continue anchoring the bottom six.

Malkin's absence could further worsen the Penguins' struggles on both the man advantage and in the faceoff circle, both of which have been issues without Crosby.

The Penguins have won just 34.3 percent of their faceoffs in five games since the end of the Olympic break, by far the worst success rate in the NHL over that span.

They're also scored on just 21.1 percent of their man-advantage opportunities since the break after spending the first half of the season with one of the best power plays in the NHL.

These struggles come at a critical time for the Penguins (61 GP, 31-17-13, 75 points) who are still in the No. 2 spot in the Metropolitan Division despite losing their last two games.

Stretching out that losing streak means the Penguins risk falling behind division opponents like the New York Islanders (63 GP, 35-23-5, 75 points) and Columbus Blue Jackets (61 GP, 32-21-8, 72 points).

That could leave the Penguins, who are looking to break a streak of three straight missed postseasons in the final year on Malkin's current contract, fighting with the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins for a Wild Card spot.

How well the Penguins are able to hold on without Crosby and Malkin, starting with Saturday's 5:30 p.m. ET puck drop against the Flyers, could determine whether the team is still in a playoff spot by the time their top players return.