| Pos | Role | Name |
| C | 1 | Sidney Crosby  ActiveSidney Crosby will not play for Team Canada in the World Championships. Crosby cited the desire to spend the next few months preparing for the 2012-13 NHL season as his reasoning behind not pulling on the maple leaf. Apr 24 |
| 2 | Evgeni Malkin ActiveEvgeni Malkin scored as Team Russia won the 2012 IIHF World Championship's gold medal game. Malkin ended the tournament with a stunning 11 goals and 19 points. He also won the NHL's Art Ross Trophy and is a candidate for the Hart Trophy. It should go without saying that Malkin should be one of the first players taken in 2012 fantasy drafts. May 21 |
| 3 | Jordan Staal ActivePenguins GM Ray Shero still hasn't ruled out the possibility of keeping his core of Jordan Staal, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin intact. There's a popular belief that the Penguins will shop Staal for salary cap reasons. Staal and Crosby's contracts will expire following the 2012-13 campaign while Malkin is locked up through 2013-14. Staal in particular is due for a big raise and keeping all three of them might be problematic. Still, Shero hasn't given up hope. "I'd like to do that, if possible," he said. "We're looking at hopefully getting extensions with [Crosby and Staal]." Shero won't be allowed to open up extension talks with Crosby and Staal until July 1. May 18 |
| 4 | Cal O'Reilly ActiveCal O'Reilly will play alongside Steve Sullivan and Tyler Kennedy on Saturday. O'Reilly was recently claimed off of re-entry waivers. He has two goals and four assists in 27 games with the Nashville Predators and Phoenix Coyotes this season. Feb 4 |
| 5 | Joe Vitale ActiveJoe Vitale will be back in Pittsburgh's lineup for Game 4 on Wednesday night after he was a healthy scratch last Sunday. He skated on the team's fourth line at practice Tuesday, between Eric Tangradi and Richard Park. The Penguins needed to fill holes left in their active roster due to suspensions to Arron Asham, Craig Adams and James Neal. Apr 18 |
| 6 | Dustin Jeffrey ActiveDustin Jeffrey is ready to play on Wednesday night in Game 4 against Philadelphia. He is slated to skate on the team's fourth line with Joe Vitale and Richard Park. Jeffrey hasn't played since Mar. 25 and appeared in only 26 games during the regular season. Apr 18 |
| LW | 1 | James Neal ActiveJames Neal has concluded serving his one-game suspension for a pair of questionable hits in Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. He will more than likely be back in the lineup for Game 5 on Friday night when the Pittsburgh Penguins attempt to force a sixth contest in the series. Neal has registered two goals and three assists in three games versus the Flyers during postseason play. Make sure you activate him if your playoff league has daily transactions. Apr 19 |
| 2 | Chris Kunitz ActiveChris Kunitz scored two goals but the Pittsburgh Penguins squandered four leads before falling 8-5 to the Philadelphia Flyers in a stunning playoff game that gave the Flyers a 2-0 playoff lead Friday night. Kunitz was one of five Penguins to collect two points in their loss. The others were Sidney Crosby (a goal and an assist), Pascual Dupuis (two assists), Evgeni Malkin (two assists) and James Neal (two assists). Tyler Kennedy and Paul Martin also potted goals for the Penguins. Apr 13 |
| 3 | Steve Sullivan ActiveSteve Sullivan, who is slated for unrestricted free agency this summer, is unsure if he will be back with the Pittsburgh Penguins next season. "I'll have to meet with Dan (Bylsma) and Ray (Shero) and see what their plans are," said the 37-year-old forward. "And then I'll discuss it with my family. It's not a decision for just myself anymore." Both sides appear to be open with the idea of Sullivan returning after he produced 48 points in 79 games during the regular season and another six points in six contests in the playoffs. Apr 25 |
| 4 | Matt Cooke ActiveMatt Cooke scored twice in an 8-4 loss Saturday night. Sidney Crosby scored a goal and registered an assist for Pittsburgh. Tyler Kennedy netted a goal in the losing effort. Mar 24 |
| RW | 1 | Pascal Dupuis ActivePascal Dupuis and the Pittsburgh Penguins are still confident that they can turn their quarterfinal series against Philadelphia around despite being down 3-0. "It won't end like this. It can't," he said. "We're too proud." The Penguins have squandered leads and lost their composure against the Flyers in this series and it will be extremely tough for them to battle back, but this has been an odd playoffs so far so it isn't completely out of the realm of possibility. Dupuis failed to record a point for the first time in 20 games in Sunday's Game 3 defeat. He carried over a 17-game scoring streak from the regular season and had points (one goal, three assists) in the first two games of the playoffs prior to seeing his spree end. Apr 18 |
| 2 | Tyler Kennedy ActiveTyler Kennedy was on Pittsburgh's top line at practice Wednesday morning. He skated alongside Evgeni Malkin and Chris Kunitz due to James Neal's one-game suspension. Kennedy, who has two goals in three games against the Flyers in the series, had been playing on the Penguins' third line prior to the promotion. Apr 18 |
| 3 | Arron Asham  SuspendedArron Asham has been suspended for four games by the NHL as punishment for his actions in Game 3 against the Flyers Sunday. Asham's cross-check to the face of the Flyers' Brayden Schenn was deemed severe enough to warrant the punishment. Barring a miracle from the Penguins, Asham's season is likely over as he won't be eligible until the second round the playoffs. Apr 17 |
| 4 | Richard Park ActiveRichard Park dressed in Game 3 on Sunday afternoon. He was a healthy scratch for the Penguins in the first two games of the team's opening round series against Philadelphia. Park logged just 8:10 of ice time in the contest, while Joe Vitale took a seat in the press box. Apr 16 |
| 5 | Craig Adams ActiveCraig Adams is eligible to return from his one-game suspension in Friday's Game 5 match-up versus Philadelphia. He received the ban for instigating a fight in the last five minutes of regulation during Sunday's loss to the Flyers. The Penguins won their first game of the series on Wednesday though, so they may decide to keep some of those players in their lineup rather than re-insert Adams. Apr 19 |
| D | 1 | Kris Letang ActiveKris Letang’s hip injury will prevent him from participating in the World Championships. While not considered a major injury, the defenseman may undergo surgery. Either way, it is an injury that has bothered him for the last couple of years and the WC tournament is not in the cards. Apr 24 |
| 2 | Paul Martin  SidelinedPaul Martin has been experiencing concussion symptons. The undisclosed injury that kept Martin out of the final three matches of the Penguins’ six-game series defeat to Philadelphia apparently is concussion based. He would have been injured in Game 3 as he did not practice the following day in preparation for Game 4 let alone suit of for that contest. Apr 24 |
| 3 | Matt Niskanen ActiveRestricted free agent Matt Niskanen is anxious to get a contract in place with the Pittsburgh Penguins. "I have fallen in love with this organization," he said. "I play my best here. I hope I'm back. It's not entirely up to me, but hopefully everything works out so that I'm back next year." Niskanen enjoyed a solid 2011-12 campaign with the Penguins, posting 21 points, 105 hits and a plus-9 rating in 75 games. He also added three points and a plus-2 rating over four playoff contests. Apr 25 |
| 4 | Zbynek Michalek SidelinedZbynek Michalek underwent successful hip surgery on Wednesday and it is expected that he will be ready for the start of the 2012-13 season. Michalek was listed as questionable to play in Game 6 against Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs because of an undisclosed injury. However, he managed to suit up in that contest and didn't reveal that he was hurt after the Penguins were eliminated from postseason play. Michalek was credited with 13 points, 144 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating in 62 games with Pittsburgh this past season. May 10 |
| 5 | Brooks Orpik ActiveBrooks Orpik will not be suspended or fined for his kneeing major during Thursday's game. Orpik's hit caused the Rangers' Derek Stepan to leave the game. Rangers coach John Tortorella called Orpik's hit cheap and dirty. Tortorella also said that the Penguins are, "one of the most arrogant organizations in the league." Apr 6 |
| 6 | Deryk Engelland ActiveDeryk Engelland was able to return from his lower-body injury sooner than expected, so he was in the lineup on Sunday versus Boston. The defenseman thought he would be out until Thursday, but he was able to log nearly 20 minutes of ice time and earn an assist in Pittsburgh's decisive victory. Engelland sat out three games with the injury. Mar 12 |
| 7 | Ben Lovejoy ActiveDefenseman Ben Lovejoy accepted the blame for the Pittsburgh Penguins' 8-5 playoff loss to the visiting Philadelphia Flyers Friday night. It was Lovejoy's giveaway early in the third period that allowed the Flyers to tie the score 17 seconds after Tyler Kennedy scored to give the Penguins the momentum.
Instead of passing the puck up the boards on the outside, Lovejoy tried to throw a cross-ice pass. Philly's Sean Couturier knocked it down and cruised in on a breakaway, beating goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to tie the game at 5-5. "I feel horrible," Lovejoy said. "That's a game that will stick with me for a long time. That's called the flood play. I tried to make the hard play. It hit [Couturier] in the shaft. It's my fault. I need to make a smarter play." Truth is, Lovejoy was hardly alone in his shoddy defensive work for Pittsburgh. Apr 14 |
| G | 1 | Marc-Andre Fleury ActiveAlthough overall Marc-Andre Fleury has not played well in the series against the Flyers, he was excellent in the Penguins' 3-2 win Friday and is hoping to build on that momentum. As it stands now, if the Penguins lose, Fleury will get a large portion of the blame. However, there is still time for the Pens' goalie to redeem himself, and considering the way he played Friday night, it is not out of the question he could do just that. Apr 22 |
| 2 | Brent Johnson ActiveBrent Johnson picked up the win despite giving up one goal on only six shots in a 4-2 win over Philadelphia. Marc-Andre Fleury started for the Penguins and stopped 14 of 15 before coach Dan Bylsma switched netminders to give Johnson some action before the playoffs. He gave up a quick goal to Jaromir Jagr, but was awarded the win. He ends the season with a 6-7-2 mark. He'll only see action in the playoffs if Fleury gets injured. Apr 7 |
