Penguins injuries: Hagelin has concussion; Malkin still out, but making progress – NBCSports.com

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without forwards Carl Hagelin and Evgeni Malkin tomorrow at home to Calgary.

Head coach Mike Sullivan said today that Hagelin has been diagnosed with a concussion after being forced to leave Saturdays victory over St. Louis. The 28-year-old winger was well enough to skate by himself this morning, so it seems unlikely that hell be out for too long. Hagelin was reportedly injured after taking a hit to the headfrom Blues forward Alex Steen.

Malkin has not played since Jan. 24 due to a lower-body injury, but he too shouldnt be out for much longer.

Geno will not play tomorrow, said Sullivan. He was in a non-contact jersey today, but we are very encouraged with his progress.

Tomorrow will be the fifth straight game that Malkin has missed. The Penguins have gone 3-1-0 without him.

The Pens are also missing forward Conor Sheary, and they will for a while longer.Sheary is on IR with an upper-body injury.

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The Arizona Coyotes said it would be different this time. They said their ownership group was comprised ofpeople that can get this done.

And yet,who was surprised to hear Friday that the teamsplans to build a new arena in Tempe were dead?

The answer is, nobody was surprised. Friday was just the latest setback on a long list. Once again, there is no plan for a new arena to replace the one in Glendale, and the Coyotes have made it crystal clear thatthey arent staying in Glendale.

Unfortunately, it appears the ASU deal will not being moving forward, said Coyotes president and CEO Anthony LeBlanc. We will continue to explore other options that will ensure a successful future for the team and our fans. Were a determined bunch on the ice and off the ice. We intend to do everything we can to keep NHL hockey here in Arizona.

Perhaps the Coyotes will now pursue an arena in Scottsdale. Maybe theyll see about sharing one with the Suns in downtown Phoenix. There are reportedly other options.

But according to TSNs Darren Dreger, the Coyotes were shocked that ASU backed out. And thats not a good look for ownership.

Its not a good look for the NHL either. This drama has been going on for years now. One day, the situation in the desert looks dire. The next, a plan comes together and theres great optimism. The next, the plan falls apart and its back to dire.

Regarding possible relocation, there is still no hard-and-fast arena plan in Seattle. That being said, there is a concerted push, with some big names attached, to get one built. The NHL has made no secret that the Pacific Northwest is on their radar. Theres an arena inPortland, Oregon, which could be an option as well.

As for Quebec City, it is unlikely that the NHL would want the Coyotes to move there, as that would only worsen the leagues geographic imbalance.

But the NHL cannot allow this situation to exist for much longer. It is beyond embarrassing now. Just recall what the commissioner, Gary Bettman, said after the now-dead Tempe deal was announced in November.

I think first and foremost itll stop all the speculation as to what may or may not happen to the franchise, Bettman said.

Nope!

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Its been total silence from Ken Hitchcock since he was fired as Blues head coach last week but on Monday, Hitchcock finally spoke.

Well, sort of.

Though hes turned out repeated interview requests from the Post-Dispatch, Hitchcock did release a statement to the paper. Here it is, in full:

When I reflect on my time in St. Louis, I remember it as some of the best years of my career. I would like to thank Tom Stillman and the entire ownership group, Doug (Armstrong) and the rest of the Blues management for giving me the opportunity to be part of such a storied franchise.

I am very proud of our record on the ice over my time in St. Louis and would like to thank all of the coaches that I have had the pleasure of sharing the bench with: Gary Agnew, Ray Bennett, Danny Brooks, Jim Corsi, Sean Ferrell, Corey Hirsch, Scott Masters, Scott Mellanby, Kirk Muller, Brad Shaw, Steve Thomas and Rick Wilson and the Blues equipment and medical staffs for all of their support during my tenure. Without their hard work and dedication, we could not have had the success we achieved. A special thanks and good luck also goes to Mike Yeo. Mike was a true professional and an incredible source of knowledge and support as an associate coach. The Blues are in good and capable hands going forward with Mike.

I was very fortunate to coach many wonderful players during my tenure and I truly appreciate your dedication over the years as we tried to make our goal a reality. I have made some special friends with many of you and I know our paths will cross again soon.

I also want to recognize the front office staff in St. Louis. Their commitment and passion for connecting the team with the community is inspiring and did not go unnoticed. They continue to play an important role in keeping the organization moving in a positive direction.

Finally, to the St. Louis Blues fans, I want to thank you for your unwavering support. I have received countless notes of appreciation over the last few days and it truly means the world to me. St. Louis is an amazing sports town with some of the most knowledgeable fans in the world. I am eternally grateful to have been part of the Blues organization and to have made St. Louis my home over the last six years. The friendships Ive developed and the memories I have made here will last me a lifetime.

Its a nice gesture from Hitch who, as Armstrong put it, paid the price for all our failures, including mine. One gets the sense this was a heartbreaking conclusion to his time in St. Louis, something made evident by Armstrong choking back tears in announcing the dismissal.

Related: The challenge for Yeo? Make better use of Blues speed

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If Melker Karlsson and Joonas Donskoi have shown anything, its that San Jose GM Doug Wilson knows how to find NHL talent in Europe.

Now, well see if that applies to Marcus Sorensen.

Sorensen, the speedy 24-year-old forward signed out of the Swedish League last summer, has been recalled by San Jose and could make his NHL debut tomorrow when the Sharks take on the Sabres.

Sorensens recall comes after he scored 13 goals and 27 points in 39 games for the AHL Barracuda, in what is his first professional season in North America.

Previously, the former Ottawa draftee (fourth round, 2010) had spent the better part of his career with SHL outfit Djurgardens IF.

As mentioned above, Wilson and the Sharks are hopeful Sorensen can follow in the footsteps of Karlsson and Donskoi. The former was signed out of Sweden in 2014 age the age of 23 and the undrafted forward spent a short time in the AHL before transitioning to the Sharks that same year.

Karlsson has since become a lineup fixture for the Sharks, and has six goals and 13 points through 46 games this year.

Donskoi, a former Florida draftee, signed with San Jose in 2015 after capturing Finnish League MVP honors. Like Karlsson, he was 23 at the time of singing and, like Karlsson, wasted little time making an impact in San Jose. Donskoi jumped straight to the NHL and had a solid rookie campaign, with 11 goals and 36 points in 72 games.

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Kenny Agostino could not ask for a better chance to prove he can produce in the NHL.

Tonight in Philadelphia, the 24-year-old winger will take Robby Fabbris spot in the St. Louis Blues lineup. Fabbri, of course, isdone for the season with an ACL injury.

Agostino has been a prolific scorer in the AHL. This season, he leads the league with 60 points (18G, 42A) in 48 games for the Chicago Wolves.

Against the Flyers, hes expected to skate on a line with Jori Lehtera and David Perron.

(Agostino) has been having a great deal of success down there and I want him to come up and show us what he can do, said Blues head coach Mike Yeo, per NHL.com. I dont want him thinking about too much or worried one mistake will take him out of the lineup. I want to see what he can bring us and well give him a good chance tonight.

It will be Agostinos first real game with the Blues. Signed as a free agent this past summer, he had a five-point game in the preseason, but it wasnt enough to make the opening-night roster under coach Ken Hitchcock.

Agostino has one goal and one assist in 10 career NHL games, all with the Calgary Flames.

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Penguins injuries: Hagelin has concussion; Malkin still out, but making progress - NBCSports.com