Cole was a healthy scratch for the third consecutive game Monday night against the Philadelphia Flyers. He's a pending unrestricted free agent carrying a $2.1-million cap hit.
Several teams have expressed interest in the 28-year-old blue-liner, according to the report.
Cole ranked third in the NHL last season with 194 blocked shots, behind Erik Karlsson and Kris Russell.
The Penguins could use a boost, entering into Monday's contest sitting in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division with only 12 wins in 25 games.
Paul Maurice isn't quite on Ken Hitchcock's side of the injury transparency debate.
"He must not have any," Maurice, the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets, quipped to reporters with a smile Monday when asked about the Dallas Stars bench boss' plea for teams to end vague injury updates in the NHL.
Maurice then referred to doctor-patient confidentiality to make his case.
"You're not allowed to tell anybody what a doctor knows," he said. "They've got laws. People can get sued for letting that kind of information (out). I don't really have the right to come out and tell you how a guy is feeling, but we do anyway."
He then explained why he believes sharing more information would be detrimental to his team.
"I would think on average (that) somewhere between nine and 11 players, about half your hockey team, every single night, has something that they're dealing with. Bone bruises, I had a guy playing with cracked ribs. I don't want anybody to know that."
Head injuries are the one area Maurice said should continue to be addressed and disclosed. The Jets head coach praised his backup goaltender, Steve Mason, for being upfront about the concussion with which the netminder was just diagnosed.
"I do think we have a responsibility to show our league is handling them in a certain way," Maurice said.
Hitchcock implied last Tuesday that he wanted to end the "dance" of saying "upper body" and "lower body" when reporters will inevitably find out what the specific nature of an injury is shortly thereafter.
The Stars head coach said he doesn't believe teams and players target other players when they know their injuries, and Maurice agreed with that Monday.
Paul Maurice isn't quite on Ken Hitchcock's side of the injury transparency debate.
"He must not have any," Maurice, the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets, quipped to reporters with a smile Monday when asked about the Dallas Stars bench boss' plea for teams to end vague injury updates in the NHL.
Maurice then referred to doctor-patient confidentiality to make his case.
"You're not allowed to tell anybody what a doctor knows," he said. "They've got laws. People can get sued for letting that kind of information (out). I don't really have the right to come out and tell you how a guy is feeling, but we do anyway."
He then explained why he believes sharing more information would be detrimental to his team.
"I would think on average (that) somewhere between nine and 11 players, about half your hockey team, every single night, has something that they're dealing with. Bone bruises, I had a guy playing with cracked ribs. I don't want anybody to know that."
Head injuries are the one area Maurice said should continue to be addressed and disclosed. The Jets head coach praised his backup goaltender, Steve Mason, for being upfront about the concussion with which the netminder was just diagnosed.
"I do think we have a responsibility to show our league is handling them in a certain way," Maurice said.
Hitchcock implied last Tuesday that he wanted to end the "dance" of saying "upper body" and "lower body" when reporters will inevitably find out what the specific nature of an injury is shortly thereafter.
The Stars head coach said he doesn't believe teams and players target other players when they know their injuries, and Maurice agreed with that Monday.
The incident occurred Saturday when Landeskog repeatedly hit the Calgary Flames forward with his stick. Landeskog was assessed a minor penalty.
(Courtesy: NHL.com)
The four-game suspension will cost Landeskog nearly $120,000 in forfeited salary, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.
Landeskog's last suspension came in March 2016, when he was banned three games following a cross check to an Anaheim Ducks skater.
Given the time since his last suspension, Landeskog is not considered a repeat offender under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, Seravalli added.
True to form, Bobrovsky - the reigning Vezina Trophy winner - isn't phased by the prospect of going head to head with Price.
"I don't focus on who plays (in the other net)," Bobrovsky told the team's website. "I just focus on my stuff, and (doing) what I should do. Obviously, I love to win, so there is the competition (factor). You want to win."
Price has been injured this season, but made his return to the lineup Saturday and posted a shutout against Buffalo.
Still, Bobrovsky has clearly been the better goalie since the beginning of 2015-16:
Goalie
Games
Record
Save %
Bobrovsky
82
55-21-6
.932
Price
74
41-27-6
.917
Over his career, Bobrovsky has posted a record of 8-4-1 with a .935 save percentage against Montreal, while Price is 6-3-1 with a .923 save percentage in 10 career games against the Blue Jackets.
Following three consecutive three-point games, Vegas Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault was named the NHL's first star of the week Monday. Vegas has now won five consecutive games for the second time this season, thanks in large part to Marchessault's recent efforts.
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky earned second star honors. He posted a 3-0-0 record with a .950 save percentage and one shutout last week to stay ahead of the pack in the early Vezina Trophy race.
Finally, Washington Capitals sniper Alex Ovechkin was named third star of the week after netting four goals in five games, including a hat trick in Saturday's win over the Maple Leafs.
As far as Rask is concerned, though, any such talk is purely media-driven and doesn't reflect any issues in the locker room.
"It's only a matter of what you guys (in the press) write that makes it a controversy," said Rask, according to Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald. "For us, it's not a controversy. Obviously people look at salaries - how much I'm making ($7 million) and how much he's making ($1.2 million) - and make that a big deal. But if he's playing very, very good and getting the wins, then I can't complain."
After 11 days off while head coach Bruce Cassidy rode Khudobin's hot hand, Rask returned to the crease Sunday. He allowed three goals on 35 shots in a 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, failing to secure his status as the de facto No. 1.
As a result, the numbers continue to skew heavily in Khudobin's favor:
Goalie
Games
Record
Save %
Tuukka Rask
13
3-8-2
.899
Anton Khudobin
10
7-0-2
.932
Cassidy hasn't named a starter for Wednesday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but Rask is prepared to either start or sit while trying to maintain a level head.
"It can affect you mentally if you let it. I try not to," Rask said. "Doby has played unbelievable. He's getting the wins and that's what matters. ... The only thing I can control is to show up, have a good work ethic and a good attitude. And when you play you try to give the team a chance to win."
Rask's career save percentage sits at .922, but he hasn't eclipsed .915 in either of the past two seasons, perhaps suggesting some decline in the 2014 Vezina Trophy winner's play.
In the second running of theScore's NHL Player Power Rankings, editors Sean O'Leary, Craig Hagerman, and Ian McLaren order the top players from around the league this season - with extra consideration given to their performances this month - and there are plenty of new faces this time around.
10. Auston Matthews
Previously 5th
GP
G
A
P
P/PG
5-on-5 CF%
21
12
11
23
1.10
53.12
An unknown upper-body injury sidelined Matthews for four games this month, but the Toronto Maple Leafs star made his presence felt immediately upon his return, burying two goals in his first game back.
Despite missing action for the first time in his young career, Matthews remains highly productive as the heartbeat of one of the league's most exciting teams. -O'Leary
9. Taylor Hall
Previously unranked
GP
G
A
P
P/PG
5-on-5 CF%
23
8
18
26
1.13
49.69
The New Jersey Devils are still in the thick of the Metropolitan Division race, and Hall is a huge reason why.
The 26-year-old is on pace for the best campaign of his career, and has developed nice chemistry with rookie Nico Hischier on the Devils' top line. It's refreshing to see Hall healthy and playing up to his full potential again. -O'Leary
8. Phil Kessel
Previously unranked
(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
G
A
P
P/PG
5-on-5 CF%
25
11
20
31
1.24
50
It's almost crazy to say, but where would the Pittsburgh Penguins be without Kessel right now?
With Sidney Crosby playing well below his usual standards and Evgeni Malkin injured, Kessel has easily been the best player for the back-to-back champs this season. He sits nine points clear of the captain for the team lead in scoring, and is fifth overall in the league. Phil forever. - O'Leary
7. Connor McDavid
Previously 4th
GP
G
A
P
P/PG
5-on-5 CF%
23
10
18
28
1.22
55.74
Poor Connor - the NHL's most exciting player is on pace for another 100-point season, but all anyone can talk about is how awful the rest of his team is.
In fairness, the Oilers have been pretty terrible, but McDavid can't do it all by himself, and his talent shouldn't be discredited by a failing supporting cast. - O'Leary
6. Sergei Bobrovsky
Previously 10th
GP
SV%
GAA
W
SO
SA
SV
19
.936
1.86
14
3
574
537
Bobrovsky continues to make a strong case for his second straight Vezina Trophy.
He's gone 7-2-1 during the month of November and has helped the Columbus Blue Jackets move to within a point of the Devils for top spot in the Metropolitan Division.
No one scored more goals this month than Karlsson.
Through his team's 11 games, he found the back of the net 10 times and chipped in with another five helpers. He's currently riding a five-game goal-scoring streak that's seen him light the lamp seven times.
Karlsson's success on the Vegas strip likely also has the Blue Jackets' front office kicking itself right about now. - Hagerman
Leading the pack has surprisingly been Schenn, who's paced the group with 30 points early in his first season with the Blues. His 19 points in November are tied for the most in the league, while the 26-year-old is already more than halfway to matching his career high of 59 points. -Hagerman
3. Nikita Kucherov
Previously 1st
GP
G
A
P
P/PG
5-on-5 CF%
23
17
17
34
1.48
52.46
Passed in the goals race by Alex Ovechkin, Kucherov has recorded just a lone assist over his past four games, thereby allowing the field to catch up in the overall scoring race, too.
He still remains in a tie for second in scoring, but with five players now within five points, Kucherov has lost a touch of the luster garnered during his dominant start to his season. - McLaren
2. Steven Stamkos
Previously 2nd
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
G
A
P
P/PG
5-on-5 CF%
23
10
26
36
1.57
54.06
It's hard to knock the NHL's leading scorer, but just like Kucherov, Stamkos has begun falling back to earth after a truly out-of-this-world start to the season.
He's also recorded only a single assist over his past four games, and while Stamkos' performance to date coming off a major leg injury has been downright inspiring, a plucky underdog has eclipsed him in our rankings, at least for the time being. - McLaren
1. Johnny Gaudreau
Previously unranked
GP
G
A
P
P/PG
5-on-5 CF%
23
11
23
34
1.48
54.63
Since the beginning of November, no player has recorded more points than Calgary's Gaudreau, whose eight goals and 11 assists have him level with Schenn for the month.
Over that stretch, he's jumped into a tie for second in NHL scoring with Kucherov, and is just two points back of Stamkos for the lead.
On pace for 121 points, Gaudreau is well on his way to bouncing back from a down 2016-17 season and smashing the career-high 78 points he recorded in 2015-16. As it stands, he's put himself in the running for both the Art Ross and Hart trophies. - McLaren
