Penguins Unveil Surprise Lineup Ahead of Showdown with Dallas Stars

The Pittsburgh Penguins may be out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs race, but down the stretch their games still mean a lot, especially with the infusion of young talent led by Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty.

Their debuts have come in the absence of veteran Evgeni Malkin, but now he's back in the lineup, and with Crosby on a line with McGroarty, it's now No. 71's time to play alongside one of the teams rookies.

Ahead of their matchup with the Dallas Stars, the team announced Malkin's return on social media, as he'll be down the middle on the teams second line with Koivunen on his left and Rickard Rakell on his right.

While the team have stuck him with some questionable linemates this season, he's now alongside the teams second most productive player from 2024/25 as well as a young 21-year old that's flashing major potential at the next level.

Sure, there's not much left to fight for in Pittsburgh this season, but setting the team up for the future by putting their young stars alongside their veterans this season is a great move, and with Malkin back, it will give them the chance to look at some potential line combinations for 2024/25.

Beyond that season, Malkin's future is unclear, but all that we know for now is that he's back in the Penguins lineup, and with some great talent around him, the hope is that the Penguins can play some fun games and keep their fans engaged down the stretch here.