Will Evgeni Malkin return to Penguins’ No. 1 power play? Mike Sullivan won’t commit

Is Evgeni Malkin about to get Wally Pipp-ed? When it comes to the power play, indications are mixed.

Malkin’s return to the lineup appears imminent, with the future Hall of Fame center practicing with teammates Wednesday on what coach Mike Sullivan termed a “full-contact” basis. Malkin will travel with the Penguins on their four-game road trip to Washington and Philadelphia, suggesting he could soon play in his first game since suffering a suspected right knee injury March 16.

But a funny thing happened to the Penguins’ power play in Malkin’s stead: it improved. The Penguins were 15 for 84 on the power play (17.8%) before Malkin’s injury; they are 16 for 53 (30.2%) since. Jared McCann stepped onto the No. 1 PP unit and has six power-play goals in 20 games, taking over the team lead in that category for the season.

This has led to calls for McCann to keep his spot, even when Malkin returns. Sullivan would not commit, either way.

“We will make that decision when the time comes,” Sullivan said via video conference call with media Wednesday, “but right now we like the way the power play is operating, They’ve done a real good job for us. … They’re making a positive impact on the game, and that’s encouraging from our standpoint.”

If Wednesday’s practice is any indication, Sullivan might be weighing his options in regards to the power play. At one point, Malkin skated on the top unit with usuals Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel.

At other points, though, Malkin was at the other end of the ice as part of an alternate unit with Jason Zucker, Kasperi Kapanen, Jeff Carter and Mike Matheson.

“When ‘Geno’ does come back into our lineup, then obviously, it gives us more options to do different things with the groups that we have,” Sullivan said.

Keep up with the Pittsburgh Penguins all season long.