A programming note for all those interested in Penguins hockey: the team begins preseason action tonight at PPG Paints Arena against the Buffalo Sabres. Puck drop on the first of four preseason games is set for 7 p.m. And with that…
Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…
Evgeni Malkin is entering his 21st season with the Penguins after signing a one-year contract, but he remains uncertain about whether he will continue playing beyond this season. [Associated Press via Sportsnet]
The Penguins have assigned goaltending prospect Matvei Nikonovich
to the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League. Nikonovich, whom Pittsburgh selected in the fifth round of the 2026 NHL draft, is set to join the OHL after spending most of last season with Lada Togliatti in Russia’s MHL, the country’s top junior league. [Trib Live]
The Penguins entered training camp with a competitive battle in net between Arturs Silovs, Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist. Silovs, 25, is the youthful veteran after playing a career-high 39 games last season and finishing strong in the playoffs, while Murashov and Blomqvist are looking to establish themselves as NHL regulars. [Penguins]
Forward Rickard Rakell recently surprised season-ticket holders, the Crandens, by personally delivering a special package to their home as part of the team’s annual preseason tradition. The visit was especially meaningful for 13-year-old Tyler, a lifelong Penguins fan who saved up enough money to buy his own Penguins jersey, which turned out to be Rickard Rakell. Both spent time talking hockey while Rakell signed his jersey and joked about one of Tyler’s homemade signs. [Penguins]
Marc-Andre Fleury received a warm welcome from fans in Saint-Boniface, Quebec, during Kraft Hockeyville, with crowds lining up for photos, autographs and a chance to see the longtime former Penguins netminder. [NHL]
News and notes from around the NHL…
Dozens of protesters gathered outside Rogers Place before the Edmonton Oilers’ first home game of the preseason, calling on the team to reverse its signing of forward Alex Formenton. [TSN]
The Toronto Maple Leafs will have a new logo at center ice this season, paying homage to the 100th anniversary of the team’s rebranding from the Toronto St. Patricks to the Maple Leafs. [Sportsnet]
