Penguins' Evgeni Malkin Out vs. Predators, Avery Hayes to Debut originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without Evgeni Malkin against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, giving Avery Hayes another opportunity to show what he can do at the NHL level.
Head coach Dan Muse confirmed Malkin will miss the matchup because of an illness. The veteran center missed Friday's practice before returning to the ice for Saturday's morning skate.
Dan Muse said that Evgeni Malkin (illness) will not play tonight, so Avery Hayes is in. And Arturs Silovs will start in goal against Nashville.
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) October 24, 2026
Hayes will make his NHL season debut after a productive opening stretch with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The 24-year-old has scored five goals and added four assists in six AHL games, recording at least one point in every appearance.
The forward also has experience producing in Pittsburgh. Hayes scored five goals in 16 NHL games last season, including two in his debut against the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 5. He became just the third player in Penguins history to score twice in his first NHL game.
Hayes' path to another NHL opportunity has included working his way up from an undrafted free agent signing to earning an NHL contract. His early-season scoring with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has given Pittsburgh another option as it adjusts to Malkin's absence.
Malkin's absence is a significant change for the Penguins, who will be without a key contributor in their matchup with Nashville. Malkin has recorded six goals and nine points in 11 games this season.
Per Dan Muse: -Evgeni Malkin will be scratched for tonight's game due to illness. -Avery Hayes will make his season debut at the NHL level. -Arturs Silovs is on the hill. -Egor Chinakhov will remain sidelined due to an undisclosed injury.
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) October 24, 2026
Muse also confirmed that Arturs Silovs will start in goal against the Predators, while Egor Chinakhov remains unavailable because of an undisclosed injury.
With Malkin sidelined and Chinakhov still out, Hayes gets a chance to translate his AHL production into another NHL contribution. His two-goal debut last season showed his scoring potential, and Saturday offers his first opportunity to build on that performance this season.