When Evgeni Malkin said last week that he’d love to see Danis Zaripov on his line this season, many ears perked up around the league. It’s not often a superstar comes out that openly in favor of acquiring a player, even if it was a passing comment in a longer interview. Now, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette confirms that the Penguins have indeed don’t their vetting of Zaripov by talking to lots of former teammates and coaches. Mackey reports that there is no formal offer in place yet, but that they’re showing “more than passing interest.”
Zaripov is a playoff legend in the KHL, but was suspended for two seasons for doping earlier this year. The NHL ruled that the ban would not be honored here in North America because the substance he tested positive for is not in their listed of banned substance, and there are several inconsistencies with how his case was handled. He’s now received interest from several teams around the league, including Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay, and even apparently has two offers in hand from unknown teams.
The 36-year old will sign somewhere before the season begins, but it’s not clear how he’d fit into the Pittsburgh forward group. They desperately need a third line center, but already have a glut of wingers that are blocking young prospects like Daniel Sprong from even making a big impact. Adding Zaripov could give them some more experience, but how much he’d actually improve the team is completely unknown. Since he’s never played in the NHL, there is no guarantee his offense would even translate.
Does Jimmy have an offer on the table for Kessel or Sheary?
Otherwise, this honestly doesn’t make much sense.
I’m pretty sure Malkin also endorsed signing and playing with Sergei Plotnikov. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out.