Pittsburgh Penguins rookie forward Filip Hallander was absent from the team’s practice session in Cranberry on Monday because of an undisclosed illness.
Hallander took in the practice session as a spectator behind the glass while wearing street clothes.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan did not provide a substantive update on Hallander’s status other than to acknowledge he is being evaluated.
Hallander missed Saturday’s 5-4 overtime road loss to the Montreal Canadiens with the illness.
His status for Tuesday’s home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs is unclear.
Recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Nov. 8, Hallander has appeared in two NHL games and has no points while averaging 9 minutes, 58 seconds of ice time.
At the time of his recall, Hallander was Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s leading scorer. In 10 AHL games, Hallander has four goals and nine assists.
Notes:
• Also absent from practice was forward Evgeni Malkin, who was excused to attend to a personal matter, according to Sullivan.
Typically the team’s second-line center and a member of the top power-play unit, Malkin has appeared in 15 games this season and has a team-leading 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) while averaging 18:26 of ice time.
• Forward Teddy Blueger, currently designated to long-term injured reserve because of an undisclosed ailment he suffered during training camp Sept. 28, was a full participant in practice.
• The Penguins’ lines during Monday’s practice session were:
59 Jake Guentzel – 87 Sidney Crosby – 17 Bryan Rust
16 Jason Zucker – 53 Teddy Blueger – 67 Rickard Rakell
23 Brock McGinn – 77 Jeff Carter – 43 Danton Heinen
42 Kasperi Kapanen – 25 Ryan Poehling – 15 Josh Archibald
The defensemen rotated during line rushes.
• The top power-play unit included Crosby, Guentzel, Rakell, Rust and defenseman Kris Letang. The second power-play unit involved Carter, Heinen and Zucker as well as defensemen P.O Joseph and Jeff Petry.
