Why The Penguins Should Convince Star Center Evgeni Malkin To Accept A Trade

The Pittsburgh Penguins are essentially two different teams. The first Penguins team is a veteran-laden squad featuring star forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and star defensemen Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson. And the second Pittsburgh team is the one that’s actively being planned for the future, featuring youngsters and prospects including wingers Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, and defensemen Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke.

Indeed, Pens GM Kyle Dubas has spoken out about his team’s dual focuses at this time. He talked to NHL.com in late April and made it clear he’s got Pittsburgh’s best experienced players and players-of-the-future in mind as he moves the team forward.

“It's going to be continuing to maximize the prime or the end of careers of some of the players that we have,” Dubas said of the team’s direction, adding it's also going to be about  “expeditiously developing some of the young players that have already come onto the roster, that are about to come onto the roster.”

Big Update On Evgeni Malkin's Penguins Future RevealedAccording to The Athletic's Josh Yohe, Evgeni Malkin will play his final season as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2025-26 because the team is not expected to offer the star forward a new contract once his deal comes to an end after next season.

There’s no question there’s excellent talent in Pittsburgh’s veteran core. And at the same time, there are young Pens players who need to draw into NHL action to learn on the job. But making players like Crosby and Malkin wait for the Penguins’ youngsters to develop into elite NHL contributors is a gamble that doesn't seem like a wise one for Dubas.

And one thing’s very likely – at some point in the next regular season, it will make sense for the Penguins to convince Malkin to waive his no-move clauses in his current contract and become the top rental player we’ll see in the NHL next year.

Now, we know Malkin has expressed his desire to retire as a Penguin, telling The Athletic, “I retire with Pittsburgh. The Penguins are my team. I love this team. When I retire it's here.”

That said, what if the Penguins are all but eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention by the 2026 NHL trade deadline or sooner? Is Malkin going to be content to play out the string with a meaningless number of games to end the year? Or will his competitive juices begin to stir as the season plays on and he starts considering being a rental for a handful of weeks and going out on a high note? 

Penguins GM Kyle Dubas Has A Plan – And He Knows What He's DoingFor GM Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins, a new organizational direction is clear – if you've been paying attention

In answering those questions we have to say we’re absolutely not sure Malkin is a lock to stay in Pittsburgh through the end of next season. He’s got full control over his NHL destiny, but the opportunity to play on an elite team for a month or two and chase another Cup is an opportunity not all stars receive. If Malkin wants to retire as a Penguin, sign a one-day contract next summer and retire as a Pen that way. That’s how another Russian star forward went out, with Pavel Datsyuk signing a one-day deal with the Detroit Red Wings before hanging up his skates.

To be sure, Malkin doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. He’s got three Stanley Cups to his credit, as well as a Hart Trophy as regular-season MVP, and a Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. You don’t often see players with that Hockey Hall-of-Fame-caliber resume being available on the trade market.

But imagine what Malkin could do for the Penguins’ future if he accepted a trade to a Cup contender this coming season. The return the Pens could get for Malkin would accelerate their rebuild and help stock Pittsburgh’s shelves with high-end draft picks and prospects. It will hurt in some ways to see Malkin in another team’s jersey for a short span, but it also would greatly contribute to the Penguins becoming a legitimate long-term Cup contender sooner than later.

The Pittsburgh Penguins Should Have Extra Motivation For The Next Two YearsThe Pittsburgh Penguins have a slew of players who are either in the final or second-to-last year of their contract. 

If he did accept a trade, Malkin would underscore his contributions to the Penguins one last time by giving back to the franchise as a result of being moved out of town. And you have to know teams would be lining up to make a major bid on Malkin’s services. 

For those reasons, Dubas would be wise to go to Malkin and persuade him to be moved. It makes sense for the Penguins as an organization to move on from him, and it makes sense for Malkin as a competitor to move on. 

It may not happen until the trade deadline, but if the season ends with Malkin still a Penguin, a great opportunity will be lost. There’s going to be a white-hot market for his services, and Dubas needs all the help he can get in building the future Pens. And that can happen if Malkin green-lights a deal and gives back something of great value to Pittsburgh one more time.

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