72 Patric Hornqvist RW

Hornqvist will join Sweden for the 2019 IIHF World Championship, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Hornqvist struggled this season, including a pointless four-game playoff run, so perhaps a chance to play with his national team will get him out of his slump. The gritty netfront pest only managed 18 goals this year, the first time he missed the 20-goal mark since the lockout shortened 2012-13 campaign. With a $5.3 million cap hit, the Penguins will be looking for more out of the veteran or he could find himself on general manager Jim Rutherford's always active trade block.

Hornqvist scored on the power play in Thursday's 5-0 win over Buffalo.

The goal is Hornqvist's first since March 1 and gives the veteran 17 for the year. He's up to 33 points through 58 games, needing seven more to produce a sixth straight season with 40-plus points.

Hornqvist had a helper in a 4-2 win over the Bruins on Sunday.

Hornqvist's 16th assist of the year helped to open the scoring, as Nick Bjugstad promptly sent the puck past Jaroslav Halak just 1:33 into the game. Hornqvist added added three shots and two hits in the victory. He's at 32 points in 56 games this season, to go with 124 hits and 146 shots. The physical winger will likely reach 40 points if he stays healthy, a feat he's accomplished in eight of his first 10 seasons -- only failing to do so in his rookie campaign and the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.

Hornqvist snagged an assist with the man advantage versus Columbus on Thursday.

Hornqvist won't get the same accolades as some of his All-Star teammates, but he quietly is continuing to produce for the Pens with five points in his last six contests, including three on the power play. The winger's gritty style of play and net-front presence with the man advantage make him a critical aspect to Pittsburgh's recent Stanley Cup titles. Still, the Swede will need to stay hot if he is going to reach the 40-point mark for the sixth straight season.

Hornqvist garnered a helper with the man advantage versus the Panthers on Tuesday.

Hornqvist has clearly bounced back from his 14-game pointless streak, as he has tallied one goal and three helpers in his last five outings. The Swedish winger seems to be working well with Nick Bjugstad in a third-line role and figures to remain a mainstay on the Pens' top power-play unit.

Hornqvist notched an assist against Columbus on Tuesday.

Hornqvist remains bogged down in a 17-game goal drought, but has garnered a helper in each of his last two outings. It could be the spark the Swedish winger needs to start finding the back of the net, not to mentioned being bumped up to the top line with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel.

Hornqvist is bogged down in a nine-game pointless streak.

Hornqvist's lack of production is no doubt a concern for the Penguins, who rely on the gritty Swede to be a consistent source of depth scoring. The 31-year-old may miss out on the 40-point mark for the first time since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, when he was with Nashville.

Hornqvist was unable to register a point in his first game back from a stint on IR versus Vegas on Saturday.

Hornqvist -- who missed the Pens' last five contests -- did rack up five shots, so his inability to write his name on the scoresheet wasn't from a lack of trying. The Swede will get plenty of opportunities playing alongside Evgeni Malkin on the second line, so it should be only a matter of time before he bends the twine.

Hornqvist is taking part in Saturday's warmups against Vegas, suggesting he'll be back from a concussion for the contest, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Hornqvist will make his first appearance since Jan. 8. The power forward has 15 goals and 11 assists, so the Penguins will welcome him back with open arms.

Hornqvist (concussion) won't play in Friday's game versus the Coyotes.

Hornqvist has returned to practice in a non-contact role but will sit out his fourth straight game. Dominik Simon is expected to remain in a second-line role until Hornqvist is ready to return, which could be Saturday's contest versus the Golden Knights.

Hornqvist (concussion) is nearing a return to game action after he participated in Thursday's practice while wearing a non-contact jersey, Josh Getzoff of PensTV reports.

Hornqvist remains without a return timetable, and given his history with head injuries, the Penguins aren't likely to rush the 32-year-old back. That said, midway through Thursday's practice, the veteran forward switched to a regular (full contact) jersey and appears to actually stand an outside chance of suiting up Friday in Arizona.

Hornqvist (concussion) -- who began skating back in Pittsburgh on Friday -- will be brought along slowly to avoid any long-term health risks, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Hornqvist has a fairly extensive history with concussions, so the Penguins will certainly make sure he's 100 percent healthy before considering him an option to rejoin the lineup. His next step in the recovery process involves returning to practice on a non-contact basis, followed by shedding his non-contact jersey for a full practice or two. Barring a quick progression, it's a good bet that Hornqivst will be sidelined through the All-Star break at a minimum.

Coach Mike Sullivan said Hornqvist (concussion) has been skating the last two days, Josh Getzoff of PensTV reports.

Sullivan still didn't reveal a timeline for his return, but it's a good sign that Hornqvist is seeing some ice time even if there's no contact. He's still slated to miss Saturday's game versus the Kings, and he'll look to get healthy for Tuesday's road matchup against the Sharks.

Hornqvist (concussion) is projected to remain out of the lineup Saturday against the Kings, Dan Greenspan of NHL.com reports.

Given the nature of Hornqvist's injury, word of a return to practice should precede his return to action. The Penguins will likely be very cautious when bringing him back considering Hornqvist has numerous concussions on his track record.

Hornqvist (concussion) won't play Friday versus the Ducks.

Hornqvist suffered a concussion during Tuesday's win over the Panthers after taking a puck to the face. The 32-year-old was considered unlikely to play in this game, though the team hasn't placed him on injured reserve. His absence is damaging to the Penguins' depth at wing, and Tanner Pearson will bump into the top six in his place.

Hornqvist is sidelined with a concussion, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Hornqvist was unlucky Tuesday and took a puck to the face against the Panthers. The team hasn't placed the winger on injured reserve at this point, but he stands a slim-to-none chance of taking the ice for Friday's match with the Ducks. Mackey notes that Hornqvist now has five confirmed concussions on his ledger since 2014, which is certainly a concerning statistic.

Hornqvist (face) was still being looked at by the medical staff after Tuesday's game and coach Mike Sullivan didn't have an update on his status.

Hornqvist was forced to leave the game after taking a puck to the face. Without an update after the game, fantasy owners will likely have to wait until Sullivan's post-practice press conference Wednesday to get more information on the Swedish winger. If he is unable to play versus Anaheim on Friday, Phil Kessel could find himself back on Evgeni Malkin's right wing.

Hornqvist exited Tuesday's game versus the Panthers after taking a puck to the face.

Hornqvist is a tough player so it wouldn't be a surprise if he returns to the game, and it'll likely depend on the severity of his injury. However, at the time of this report, the Penguins have a 4-0 lead in the second period, so they may simply exercise caution. The 32-year-old winger dished out his 11th assist of the season to Tanner Pearson before leaving the contest.

Hornqvist registered a goal in Sunday's 5-3 defeat to the Blackhawks.

Since returning from a six-game stint on the sidelines due to an upper-body issue, Hornqvist has recorded three goals and three assists in his last nine outings. The Swedish winger has settled into a spot on the second line next to Evgeni Malkin, which should give him plenty of opportunities to rack up points.

As expected, Hornqvist (upper body) is in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Capitals,

Hornqvist was initially designated a game-time decision by the team, but his activation from injured reserve earlier in the day made it pretty clear he would retake the ice against the Capitals. He will slot in on the third line alongside Tanner Pearson and Derick Brassard in his first game back.