Penguins center Evgeni Malkin is one of the top three offensive players in the National Hockey League, joining Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin in that select group.

Malkin scored 219 points the previous two seasons and scored 14 points in his first 12 games this season. But now he will miss the next two to three weeks with a shoulder injury. He joins offensive defenseman Sergei Gonchar and winger Tyler Kennedy (five goals so far) on Pittsburgh's injured list.

“He strained his shoulder about 10 days or so ago,” Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said, according to NHL.com. “I don't know the exact day. It is precautionary for the player. We are worried about the safety of the shoulder. A couple weeks of rest and rehab will get that thing healthy so he can get back onto the ice.”

Fortunately, the Penguins still have Sidney Crosby (who scored a hat trick in his last game) and Jordan Staal to center their top two lines and keep this offense rolling.

Other teams are not so fortunate; with many teams already capped out – and already leaning on younger players as a result – the mounting casualty list will create interesting scenarios around the NHL.

Here are some examples:

Roberto Luongo, GT, Canucks: He should miss at least a week while recovering from a broken rib. Couldn’t such an injury sideline him for much longer than that? He tried to play through the injury and aggravated it, which is why is sitting out now. Andrew Raycroft (gulp) will fill in while Luongo tries to heal up.

Ilya Kovalchuk, W. Thrashers: He will miss from three to five weeks with a broken foot, punching a big hole in Atlanta’s offense. On the power play, young defenseman Zach Bogosian will take his spot on the point. Also, 18-year Evander Kane is sticking around, having passed his nine-game test. And this would be a really good time for Bryan Little to relocate his 30-goal form.

Jonathan Toews, C, Blackhawks: He is out indefinitely with a concussion. He isn’t even skating yet and he didn’t travel with the team to Nashville. (On the plus side in Chicago, Marian Hossa is back on the ice with his teammates, shooting for a November return from shoulder surgery.)

Simon Gagne, W, Flyers: Doctors have discovered a couple of small groin muscle hernias, which can’t be a good thing. He may need surgical repairs – and that could sideline him for a big chunk of the regular season. It’s no wonder he is seeking second opinions. He had three groin/abdominal surgeries in a four-year span.

Kim Johnsson, D, Wild: He is out for seven to 10 days with a lower-body injury, adding to an injury list that includes forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard (concussion). With Petr Sykora out as a healthy scratch, this team doesn’t have much firepower.

Paul Martin, D, Devils: He may miss up to six weeks with an arm injury, compromising a New Jersey defense already short on offensive talent. “For sure, Martin is our No. 1 guy on defense because he logs a lot of minutes, so it's tough to replace him but, on the other hand, we still think we have a solid D-corps," Devils defenseman Johnny Oduya told NHL.com. “Obviously, some guys will have to step up and play some more minutes but that's part of the game and it's something you have to get over.”

Devin Setoguchi, W, Sharks: With center Joel Pavelski still on the mend with a broken foot, San Jose didn’t need to lose this scoring-line winger for two games and counting due to a leg injury. Setoguchi has yet to resume skating in practice.

Marian Gaborik, W, Rangers: He is out with a leg injury. There aren’t any indications that it is serious -- but since Gaborik missed 65 games with injuries last season, New York fans are understandably nervous.This injury is related to any of his other injuries, but this dude is always hurt.

Anton Volchenkov, D, Senators: He could miss a couple of weeks with an elbow injury suffered during Wednesday's 4-3 victory over the Panthers. Young Matt Carkner figures to get a bigger role with Ottawa’s top D-man out. “We hope it's only going to be maybe a couple of weeks,” coach Cory Clouston told the Ottawa Sun. “We'll wait until we get back and get the MRI ... I don't want to say long term, but it'll probably be a couple of weeks.”