PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan)- Bob Pompeani was joined by Root Sports Analyst Jay Caufield as news about Evgeni Malkin’s injury began to emerge Saturday.

Caufield said that the hit on Malkin was a “tweener,” but at the same time, if you’re the defenseman in that position, you have to stop him.

“You can just see the way his skates reacted, but when he went in hard, you first thought of his back and then you see his head snap back,” Caufield said. “So, right away you’re wondering.”

Caufield said he hopes that the injury isn’t long term and that it was a tough spot to hit the boards.

He also said he wouldn’t expect Malkin to play anytime soon, and that the team will be very careful before clearing him to play. Caufield says that Dustin Jeffrey could be an option to play with James Neal in addition to Brandon Sutter.

Listen to Caufield on 93-7 The Fan: