Three Eastern Teams Eye Evgeni Malkin Amid Rising Doubts in Pittsburgh
Photo credit: Edit from The Seattle Times
There's a new trade twist in Pittsburgh, as the Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers have an interest in Penguins' Evgeni Malkin.
Can Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin both end next season in different jerseys?
After practicing last Friday, Malkin told media members that he'd waive his non-movement provision to suit up with a Stanley Cup contender if the Pittsburgh Penguins' 2025-26 campaign turned south like many are expecting. His comments immediately revved up the chatter over his future.
Later in the night, an NHL executive confidant spoke with RG and stated that three clubs, the Montreal Canadiens (who have been mentioned with Crosby), the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Florida Panthers, all have checked with Malkin's agent over the course of the 2024 offseason to a varying degree.
Malkin cited ex-Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand as an example. Marchand, having spent virtually 16 seasons with Boston, waived his no-trade clause at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline to go play with the Florida Panthers.
"It's hard," said Malkin, who is entering his 20th NHL season with his first 19 having all been with the Penguins.
"Again, we see a story like Brad Marchand. Looking good. Team trades you, you win the Cup. It's a little weird, too. Of course, everybody wants to make the playoffs, maybe make one more run at the Cup. Great story. But I don't know how I would feel if the team wants to trade me."
"Again, we see a story like Brad Marchand. Looking good. Team trades you, you win the Cup. It's a little weird, too. Of course, everybody wants to make the playoffs, maybe make one more run at the Cup. Great story. But I don't know how I would feel if the team wants to trade me."
The 37-year-old then recorded 10 goals and 10 assists in 23 tilts and contributed to Florida's second consecutive Stanley Cup.
Kyle Dubas Mentioned No Plans to Offer Evgeni Malkin a Contract Beyond This Season
The suspense over Malkin's future has been building for months. Entering the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas foresaw there were no plans to offer Malkin a contract extension beyond this season.
League executives were already tracking the situation and speculating about when exactly he'd potentially hit the market.
Just days from the first round of the draft, RG put the query to an executive: Would clubs pursue Malkin, who turned 39 in July, were he to hit free agency on July 1, 2026, a month before marking his 40th birthday?
"Or he gets traded, gets a chance to earn an extension somewhere else, or increases his value for the free agent market next year," the executive opined at the time.
The same executive was again contacted last Friday night to get his response to Malkin's latest remarks.
Now with Crosby and Malkin being threatened with ever-increasing trade rumors, the Penguins could reach a crossroads of their franchise sooner rather than later.
TRENDING NOW
