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Injury update: Malkin skates, Vokoun headed to Wilkes-Barre

PITTSBURGH — With just three games remaining in the regular season, the Pittsburgh Penguins may be getting closer to full strength when it comes to their long list of injured players.

Evgeni Malkin met with a physician and was cleared for light skating -- which he did before Tuesday’s team workout at Southpointe.

Malkin, out since March 23 with a foot injury, has been limited to 60 games this season.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma indicated that rushing him back to appear in a regular-season game before the playoffs begin next week is not a priority.

“There is no timetable at this point on his (return to game action from) injury,” Bylsma said.

In addition, Bylsma said Tomas Vokoun will report to Wilkes-Barre for an AHL conditioning assignment on Wednesday.

Vokoun has not played this season since a blood clot was discovered in his pelvis in September.

He has been practicing with the team since being cleared for contact in February. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins next three games are Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

A conditioning assignment can last three games, but Bylsma said Vokoun is not scheduled to appear in all three.

“He had increased intensity level in practice,” Bylsma said. “He does have some body soreness and things he's dealing with, but at this point in time we have to see if he can do it. So he will get that opportunity to do that in Wilkes-Barre this weekend.”

Kris Letang told Channel 11 News that there is no timetable for his return.

In other updates, forwards Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz and defensemen Brooks Orpik and Olli Maatta were present at practice Tuesday after missing Sunday's game in Colorado. Bylsma collectively termed them all as “day to day.”

Also, joining Malkin in skating prior to the practice was forward Joe Vitale (middle-body injury), who also had been recently seen by a doctor.

Channel 11’s news exchange partners at TribLIVE contributed to this report.