After an eight-game losing streak left the Pittsburgh Penguins looking like the lottery team many expected before the season, they have completely flipped the script.
The Penguins are back in a playoff spot thanks to winning six of their last seven, which coincided with the return of Evgeni Malkin, and as a result, a return to the postseason for the first time since 2021-2022 feels legitimately plausible. Now that that’s the case, the question becomes: why do trade rumors surrounding Malkin continue to surface?
The lifelong Penguin has made it abundantly clear that he only wants to play in Pittsburgh next to Sidney Crosby, and any talk of his departure should have diminished even further given the team’s recent surge.
Nevertheless, speculation continues. The latest came from Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, who suggested Kirill Kaprizov could try to lure his compatriot to Minnesota, where Bill Guerin – a former teammate of Malkin’s in Pittsburgh – is in charge.
You can connect the dots and see why Malkin makes a lot of sense for a Wild team that needs help under center. But let’s be honest: He’s playing elite hockey on a playoff-bound team that he never really wanted to leave. He’s not going anywhere.
Evgeni Malkin will likely extend in Pittsburgh
To further calm rumors that Malkin would head to Minnesota or elsewhere, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported last week that the 39-year-old plans to play next season — and wants it to be in Pittsburgh.
said Kaplan:
“He definitely wants to play next year and wants it to be in Pittsburgh.”
Malkin has looked fantastic this season, scoring over a point per game with 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) in just 28 games played. So there’s no doubt that General Manager Kyle Dubas wants to bring him back, and money won’t be an obstacle given the ample cap space they’re expected to have.
For most of his career, voices in the hockey world have tried to push Malkin out of Pittsburgh in the hopes that he would escape Crosby’s shadow and lead his own team. Twenty years later, he still has to explain that he doesn’t want to do it, so at some point it’s time to accept reality: Evgeni Malkin is a penguin, and he intends to remain one.
Next: Brady Tkachuk fumes over rumors swirling around the Ottawa Senators
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