The Penguins final game of the season is on Thursday against the Washington Capitals and it's unclear if Hayes will be ready to draw into the lineup. The 32-year-old Hayes is averaging 12:03 time-on-ice and has 23 points (13G / 10A) in 64 games this season.
The Penguins announced on Wednesday that Letang had successful closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO; small hole in the heart). The expected recovery time is four to six weeks, so Letang will be ready for training camp in the fall.
The Kings are already locked into the second spot in the Pacific division, so Jones will slot in along with Akil Thomas, Trevor Lewis, and Kyle Burroughs for Tuesday's game in Seattle. Mikey Anderson, Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, and Quinton Byfield will all get the night off.
Jones played five games with the Kings earlier this season but has spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL. The 27-year-old Jones has 20 points (2G / 18A) in 42 games with the Ontario Reign (AHL) this season.
Vinnie Hinostroza will draw back into Minnesota's lineup on Friday against the Calgary Flames, resulting in Brazeau being a healthy scratch. The 27-year-old Brazeau has been limited to only one point (1G / 0A) in 17 games since joining Minnesota.
The Penguins are coming off a 5-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, a 26-save performance by Jarry for his second shutout of the season. Jarry has been better since returning from the AHL in mid-March but remains inconsistent. He has two shutouts in his last five games (3-1-1) but sports a pedestrian .893 SV%. The Penguins enter Friday's contest as +165 road underdogs against a New Jersey Devils team coming off a disappointing 7-2 loss to the Boston Bruins.
Novak has not played since March 9th and will miss the remainder of the season. The 27-year-old Novak is averaging 13:14 time-on-ice and has 22 points (13G / 9A) in 54 games this season.
Lizotte did not play in Pittsburgh's previous game and will miss the remainder of the season. The 27-year-old Lizotte is averaging 12:43 time-on-ice and has 20 points (11G / 9A) in 59 games this season. Matthew Nieto will draw into the lineup as Lizotte's replacement.
McGroarty recently made his NHL debut, scoring three points (1G / 2A) in eight games, but will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. The 21-year-old McGroarty was the 14th overall pick of the Winnipeg Jets in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Puustinen last appeared in an NHL game in mid-November. He's spent most of the season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, tallying 35 points (16G / 19A) in 47 games. The 25-year-old has appeared in 10 NHL games this season, scoring one goal with one assist.
Ponomarev has spent the majority of the season in the AHL, where he has 15 goals and 25 assists (40 points) in 54 games. He has appeared in four NHL games this season, but has yet to register a point.
