NHL Metropolitan

Sidney Crosby, who has missed the Pittsburgh Penguins' last two games with an apparent left arm injury, "hopes to play" for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported the news. Kaplan described Crosby as "desperate to play in the tournament."

TSN's Darren Dreger wrote earlier Sunday that Crosby is traveling to Montreal to join Team Canada, and will skate Monday "as part of Canada's ongoing evaluation."

4 Nations Face-Off rosters must be finalized by 5 p.m. ET Monday, according to Dreger. Canada is set to open the tournament against Sweden on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

Crosby was injured in a Tuesday night game against the New Jersey Devils when his arm was pinned awkwardly between two opponents.

After immediately leaving the ice following the collision, Crosby returned for the rest of the Devils game and skated in both the overtime period and shootout.

But he did not join the Penguins for either side of the team's back-to-back set this weekend, sitting out both a Friday win over the New York Rangers and Saturday loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. It was his first time missing a Penguins game since the 2022 postseason.

After missing practice earlier this week, Crosby did participate in an optional skate ahead of Saturday's game in Philadelphia:

Sidney Crosby on the ice this morning at Flyers practice facility. https://t.co/K8wHm5V4U5

— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) February 8, 2025

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, who has identified Crosby's injury only as an "upper-body" issue, said Saturday when asked about the Penguins captain's tournament status that the team would "take each day as it comes."

"He skated for a long time this morning," Sullivan said Saturday. "He felt significantly better today than he did yesterday, and that's really encouraging."

The Penguins, who are already missing Evgeni Malkin on a week-to-week basis, have had their depth strained by the absence of their two star centers. Crosby's injury is also particularly concerning given his history of left wrist injuries.

But Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman the team plans to leave any injury management decisions up to their captain.

"They have said, 'If you want to play in this, it's your decision, and we will support it,'" Friedman said about the Penguins' communication with Crosby.

Crosby, who helped Canada win Olympic gold in the 2010 Vancouver Games and 2014 Sochi Olympics, last represented his country in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He was named Team Canada's captain for the 4 Nations Face-Off on Jan. 30.

If Crosby is unable to play this week, alternate captain Connor McDavid could get the nod to lead the team, while Mark Scheifele could fill in his roster spot. But Team Canada will hope to see their captain back on the ice in time for Crosby to wear the C during Wednesday's tournament opener.

Sidney Crosby will not be in the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup on Friday night against the New York Rangers.

The star center was ruled out of the game after appearing to suffer an upper-body injury during the team's 3-2 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night. He notably missed Wednesday's practice but did practice on Thursday and participated in Friday's morning skate.

Sidney Crosby is OUT for the Penguins on Friday, when they’ll play the Rangers.

Crosby appeared to sustain an upper-body injury on Tuesday against the Devils. pic.twitter.com/obC9PtLdVV

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 7, 2025

Crosby is set to serve as the captain for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face Off that will begin on Feb. 7. His status remains uncertain for the tournament.

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This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

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Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko suffered a broken jaw after he was struck by an errant puck while sitting on the bench, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.

Kirill Marchenko broke his jaw after being hit by a puck while sitting on the bench Sunday, according to @Aportzline.

Another tough blow for Columbus … pic.twitter.com/Q24xvQYmWb

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 3, 2025

The incident occurred in the second period of the Blue Jackets' 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on Sunday.

Per Portzline, Marchenko was immediately taken to a hospital in Dallas to have his jaw reset during the third period. While his exactly recovery timeline is unknown, the typical timetable for a broken jaw is six to eight weeks.

Marchenko finished with two shots on goal and one assist in just over 11 minutes on the ice before suffering the injury.

The 24-year-old was off to a strong start in Columbus, recording a team-high 21 goals in 53 games played. Marchenko also ranked No. 2 on the Blue Jackets with 34 assists and 55 points, respectively.

THAT'S ALL, FOLKS! ✅

Kirill Marchenko wins it for the @BlueJacketsNHL in @Energizer overtime! pic.twitter.com/8SilUICIc4

— NHL (@NHL) January 26, 2025

He was selected by Columbus with a second-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry draft, amassing 25 points in 59 games as a rookie during the 2022-23 season. Marchenko took a step forward in his second year, recording 42 points in 78 appearances.

To begin his 2024-25 campaign, he was operating as a key piece in the No. 1 line of a Columbus team searching for its first playoff appearance since the 2019-20 season.

The Blue Jackets currently sit at 26-20-7, holding a narrow lead for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with 59 points.

Columbus has been hit hard by injuries this season, as center Sean Monahan is expected to be out until March due to a wrist issue that occurred on Jan. 7. Meanwhile, forward Boone Jenner has yet to make his 2024-25 debut after undergoing shoulder surgery in Oct. 2024.

The Blue Jackets will attempt to maintain their playoff positioning without Marchenko starting with a matchup against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.

J.T. Miller is reportedly headed back to Manhattan.

The New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks agreed to a trade that will bring Miller back to where his NHL career began in 2013, per the Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

The Canucks are also sending defenseman Erik Brännström and NCAA prospect Jackson Dorrington to New York, per Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

In return the Canucks will receive veteran center Filip Chytil, rookie defenseman Victor Mancini and a protected 2025 first-round pick, according to Brooks, Seravalli and ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

The pick is top-13 protected and could potentially slide to 2026, per Seravalli.

Full trade details:

To #NYR: J.T. Miller, Erik Brannstrom, Jackson Dorrington

To #Canucks: Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, 2025 1st Round Pick (Top 13 Protected)

No salary retained on Miller. If #NYR pick is in Top 13, pick transfers to 2026.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 1, 2025

Miller is expected to join the Rangers for Saturday night's game against the Boston Bruins, per Kaplan.

The report comes after The Athletic's Rick Dhaliwal said Miller would be scratched for the Canucks' Friday night road game against the Dallas Stars.

Miller had a full no-move clause on his contract, which he would have had to waive to facilitate the deal.

The alternate captain has been at the center of trade rumors this season amid a reported rift between himself and Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson. Miller has previously told reporters the feud was "created" by the media.

The Athletic's Josh Yohe reported in early January the Canucks had turned down a trade offer for Miller that would have sent Mika Zibanejad to Vancouver. Friedman later added that the talks stalled because the Canucks didn't include Braden Schneider in the deal.

Miller was almost held out of a home game against the Edmonton Oilers on Jan. 18 because of a potential trade with the New York Rangers, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. The deal "would have involved multiple players and draft picks," per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

The Canucks had also discussed trade scenarios involving Pettersson, according to Wyshynski. But after the latest round of negotiations with the Rangers proved more successful, it will ultimately be Miller leaving Vancouver less than one year after leading the Canucks to the second round with the best season of his career.

Miller paced the Canucks with 103 points in 81 regular-season games in 2023-24 to help Vancouver win 50 games for the first time since the Henrik and Daniel Sedin era.

Although the Canucks were eliminated in seven games by the Edmonton Oilers on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals, the hope was that Quinn Hughes' team would regroup and go on a deeper run in 2025.

But bad injury luck including the extended absence of starting netminder Thatcher Demko, combined with the scrutiny surrounding the relationship between Miller and Pettersson, have exacerbated what has already been a difficult start to the 2024-25 season. The reigning Pacific Division leaders are fighting for a wild card spot as the trade deadline approaches.

Miller has played for the Canucks since he was traded to Vancouver by the Tampa Bay Lightning ahead of the 2019-20 season.

After three straight 30-goal seasons, his production dipped early in the 2024-25 campaign to nine goals and 26 assists for 35 points in 40 games.

The center, who turns 32 in March, made his NHL debut with the Rangers in 2013. He played 341 regular-season games and 40 postseason contests for the franchise prior to his 2018 trade to the Lightning.

Having grown into as a second-line center in Vancouver, Miller will likely be taking on a larger role in New York this time around.

Like the Canucks, the Rangers have fallen into a race for a Wild Card spot after an underwhelming start to the season. The team will hope reworking their top six can help spark a playoff push over the second half of the season.

Adding Miller's contract means yet another long-term contract commitment added to New York's crowded salary cap. Miller is signed through the 2029-30 season, with a full no-trade clause through 2026-27 and a 15-team no-trade list over the final three years of the deal, according to Spotrac.

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Monday they placed star forward Evgeni Malkin on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

The Athletic's Rob Rossi reported Malkin is expected to miss a few weeks.

"If that early word holds up—and to be clear, with all knee injuries, things can change after the swelling goes down and doctors get clearer images—Malkin would probably not play again until after the Penguins return from the break for the upcoming 4 Nations tournament next month," Rossi said. "They have six games before that break begins."

In this his 19th NHL season, the 38-year-old veteran has registered nine goals and 25 assists in 47 appearances.

Ever since going No. 2 overall to the Pens in the 2004 NHL draft, Malkin has been among the best and most dynamic players in the league.

Malkin has three seasons with 40 or more goals and three seasons with 100 or more points to his credit, and few active NHL players are more decorated than he is in terms of awards and accolades.

The Russian center is a seven-time All-Star, plus he won the 2007 Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year, the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer in both 2009 and 2012, and the Hart Memorial Trophy as NHL MVP in 2012.

Malkin also helped lead the Penguins to three Stanley Cup victories in 2009, 2016 and 2017, and he was named playoff MVP in 2009 as the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Prior to the 2020-21 season, Malkin had produced at a point-per-game or better clip in nine consecutive seasons. That included 74 points in just 55 games in 2019-20.

Injuries limited Malkin to just 33 games in 2020-21 and 41 games in 2021-22, but he was productive when healthy, recording 42 points in those 41 contests.

Malkin bounced back to appear in all 82 games in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns, finishing with 83 points and 67 points, respectively.

Despite his past durability issues and the fact that he is no longer an elite point producer, Malkin is still of the utmost importance to the Penguins' success, as evidenced by his more than 1,300 career points, and he will be missed now that he's back on the shelf.

Colorado Avalanche star Mikko Rantanen was reportedly acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes in a three-team trade on Friday night.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall will also be heading to Carolina as part of the deal, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

MIKKO RANTANEN HAS ALSO BEEN TRADED TO THE CAROLINA HURRICANES, PER @frank_seravalli 🤯 pic.twitter.com/nBXWtCRL1Y

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 25, 2025

Per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, Hurricanes centers Martin Nečas and Jack Drury will be heading to the Avalanche in the trade.

The massive three way deal will involve sending Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall to Carolina, Martin Necas & Jack Drury to Colorado per sources.

Chicago takes on 50% of Rantanen’s salary and gets its own third round pick back. @frank_seravalli on the trade first

— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) January 25, 2025

It's a shocking move, as Rantanen spent his entire career in Colorado since making his debut during the 2015-16 season. Meanwhile, Hall was in the midst of his second year with the Blackhawks.

Fans were stunned by the deal.

trying to enjoy a casual Friday night when the biggest NHL trade in forever breaks 😅 pic.twitter.com/BaDJAOm0AJ

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 25, 2025

Until this moment, I believed completely that Mikko Rantanen would be here for his entire career. I am in complete shock.
Snap judgment before we know the return, this is the most important trade of our lifetime. This will define the next decade of this team, for better or worse.

— Hockey Mountain High Podcast (@HockeyMTNPod) January 25, 2025

the NHL the only league where insiders will start with Taylor Hall being traded then adding MIKKO RANTANEN is also part of the deal

— Hans (@S7Dsn) January 25, 2025

Im gonna throw up if we actually are trading Mikko Rantanen

— Centennial Sports! (@92_Colorado) January 25, 2025

Umm…. Why the heck are the Colorado Avalanche trading their young star Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes ??

Find out later in crazy land ???? pic.twitter.com/05utRG4sJD

— Adam (@AGBRSports) January 25, 2025

WTF IS HAPPENING!!! Mikko gone, Necas coming back, holy moly

— Luca Celebre (@LucaCelebre21) January 25, 2025

Nuts.

There was no doubt in my mind Mikko was going to be an all time Av forever.

sports baby.

— Nathan Rudolph (@DNVR_Rudo) January 25, 2025

I actually can't believe the Avs traded Mikko Rantanen mid-season. Genuinely baffled

— Dude Where's Makar (@joelthesakic) January 25, 2025

TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported that the Blackhawks will be receiving a third-round pick as part of the trade, although Seravalli noted that the call to officially make the deal has "not yet been conducted."

Rantanen was selected by the Avalanche with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry draft. His 394 career assists and 681 career points both rank No. 7 on Colorado's all-time leaderboard.

The 28-year-old has surpassed 100 points in each of the prior two seasons, while his 55 goals during his 2022-23 campaign ranked No. 3 among all players. Rantanen helped lead the Avalanche to their Stanley Cup victory in 2022.

In 49 games this season, he's recorded 25 goals and 39 assists.

Rantanen is currently slated to hit free agency at the end of the year, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman revealed that a contract extension isn't a part of the deal.

As for Hall, a trade appeared to be brewing after he was scratched from Chicago's clash with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night.

The Hurricanes will be the 33-year-old's sixth team since the start of the 2019-20 season. Hall appeared in just 10 games with the Blackhawks during his first year with the organization, as he suffered a torn ACL in Nov. 2023.

The 2018 Hart Trophy winner was able to return before the start of the regular season, racking up nine goals and 15 assists across 46 appearances while averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time.

As the Canes look to secure their seventh consecutive playoff appearance, they made a blockbuster move to help them do so.

Mikko Rantanen, who played parts of ten seasons and won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, is joining the Carolina Hurricanes, the team announced Friday.

THIS IS A BIG DEAL‼️

Details » https://t.co/CI5CL23V8M pic.twitter.com/9WRKWRt2Aw

— x - Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) January 25, 2025

Rantanen is being moved in a three-team deal that will also send veteran winger Taylor Hall from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Hurricanes, as first reported by Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli and confirmed by ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

Hurricanes centers Martin Nečas and Jack Drury are going to the Avs as part of the deal.

The massive three way deal will send Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall to Carolina, Martin Necas & Jack Drury to Colorado per sources.

Chicago takes on 50% of Rantanen’s salary and gets its own third round pick back. @frank_seravalli on the trade first

— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) January 25, 2025

Trade call underway now. Full deal:

To #RaiseUp: Mikko Rantanen, Taylor Hall

To #GoAvsGo: Martin Necas, Jack Drury, 2025 2nd Round Pick, 2026 4th Round Pick (all from Carolina)

To #Blackhawks: 2025 3rd Round Pick (their own returned from Carolina), 50% of Rantanen’s salary

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 25, 2025

Rantanen is playing on an expiring contract that will not be extended as part of the trade, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

At this time, there is no extension for Rantanen as part of the deal

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 25, 2025

The Athletic's Scott Powers first reported that the Blackhawks are taking on half of Rantanen's $9.25 million cap hit as part of the deal. The Hawks will meanwhile let go of the entirety of Hall's $6 million salary, per Powers.

The Blackhawks are retaining half of Mikko Rantanen's cap hit, none on Taylor Hall.

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) January 25, 2025

The Canes could be adding one of the most productive wingers in the league by acquiring Rantanen, who ranks sixth in the NHL with 64 points in 49 games.

Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon have been one of the best duos in the NHL for years, leading the franchise to the 2022 Stanley Cup and becoming the first pair of Avs players to each record back-to-back 40-goal, 100-point seasons last spring.

Having just turned 28 in October, Rantanen could be set for a raise on his next contract from the $9.25 million he is making this season.

Even if the Canes are not able to extend him after this season, potentially slotting Rantanen in alongside Sebastian Aho on the top line just for the next few months could give the Hurricanes' offense an enormous boost as they gear up for a potential Stanley Cup run.

The Hurricanes meanwhile could lose two centers in Nečas and Drury.

Nečas, who anchored the third line, meanwhile avoided hitting the trade deadline as a potential rental by inking a two-year, $13 million extension before the season.

The Canes' center depth will now be tested as players like Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jordan Staal step up in Nečas' absence.

Hall heads to Raleigh in the final year of the four-year, $24 million deal he signed with the Boston Bruins ahead of the 2021-22 season. He said last week that he wanted to sign an extension in Chicago, but had "a feeling that's not really in the cards," per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Hall was in the middle of his second season with the Blackhawks, although he missed almost the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign after undergoing ACL surgery in November 2023. He was skating mostly on the Blackhawks' fourth line, and could take on a similar role in North Carolina.

The Hurricanes have previously been tied to trade interest in Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Friedman reported Thursday that the Hurricanes and New York Rangers had "permission to talk" with Miller, who has a full no-trade clause on his contract.

If the reported trade impacts the likelihood the Canes can find the cap space to acquire Miller, the Rangers could have a better chance of convincing the winger to agree to come to Manhattan.

The Washington Capitals had to hold on for a 3-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night despite Logan Thompson allowing a third-period goal due to distraction from nachos.

Thompson told reporters after the game a tray of cheese-covered nachos thrown onto the ice diverted his attention when Corey Perry scored a goal.

"I've never seen that before. Obviously, I've got to play to the whistle. That one's on me," said Thompson.

OK this is a new one: Logan Thompson was yelling at the refs after Corey Perry’s goal because a fan had thrown a tray of nachos on the ice. @Capitals @EdmontonOilers pic.twitter.com/rcm42xzUg5

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) January 22, 2025

Capitals coach Spencer Carbery called it the "first" time he's ever seen a nacho-related incident on the ice, then joked "maybe we can bring them into the locker room" if anyone saved them.

The nachos could have played a significant role in the outcome of the game.

Thompson was able to regroup afterward, stopping the final four shots he saw the rest of the game to seal the win for Washington in a big game between two of the NHL's best teams.

The victory gave the Capitals 69 points, the most in the league. They have a four-point edge over the Winnipeg Jets in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.

Edmonton (61 points) is one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights, who have lost four straight games, for the top spot in the Pacific Division. The Oilers haven't won a division title since the 1986-87 season.

Evgeni Malkin's Stanley Cup rings were found safe in his home after the Pittsburgh Penguins star was burglarized last week.

The Allegheny County Police Department announced on social media Thursday that Malkin's three championship rings, which were initially believed to have been stolen, were found in his residence.

While his rings were not stolen, the Allegheny County Police Department clarified that the investigation is ongoing.

In a statement, Malkin thanked the Allegheny County Police, the Sewickley Heights and the Penguins organization.

"I would like to express my gratitude to the Allegheny County Police, the Sewickley Heights Police and the entire Penguins organization," he said. "The outpouring of support and concern from my teammates and fans over the past few days means so much to my family and I."

The burglary of his home occurred on Jan. 10 while the Penguins were playing the Ottawa Senators at PPG Paints Arena. A 911 call reporting the robbery came a few hours after the game.

A handful of professional athletes have dealt with burglaries over the past year, including Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić and more.

Amid a slew of robberies, the FBI issued a warning to pro sports leagues about athletes' homes being targeted while they were playing games or traveling.

The three Stanley Cup rings earned by Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin were stolen during a home break-in Saturday, according to Jennifer Borrasso, Mike Darnay and Patrick Damp of KDKA in Pittsburgh.

The Penguins issued a statement confirming Malkin was the victim of a burglary:

Evgeni Malkin’s home in the Pittsburgh suburbs was burglarized during Saturday’s game at PPG Paints Arena, the Penguins confirmed to @WPXI.

The team has released the following statement: pic.twitter.com/fllu7xjQRR

— Jenna Harner (@JennaHarner11) January 15, 2025

The incident happened on the same day the team suffered a 5-0 home loss to the Ottawa Senators. Malkin didn't play because of an upper-body injury.

Malkin told The Athletic's Rob Rossi and Alex Andrejev that nobody was home at his residence in Sewickley Heights, Pennsylvania, at the time of the break-in. He also confirmed his Stanley Cup rings were missing.

The 38-year-old helped Pittsburgh lift the trophy during the 2008-09, 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, playing a key role in all three title runs. He was the Conn Smythe winner in 2009 after tallying 14 goals and 22 assists in 24 games.

The burglary at Malkin's home comes as athletes across multiple sports have been targeted in similar incidents in recent months. Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić and Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin have all been targeted.

Aaron Katersky and Josh Margolin of ABC News reported in December the FBI had issued a report outlining how a group might be deliberately targeting professional athletes

"These homes are targeted for burglary due to the perception they may have high-end goods like designer handbags, jewelry, watches and cash," the FBI said.

The Bureau also said the alleged theft rings are capable of bypassing security systems and uses jammers to disrupt any Wi-Fi signals.