PHR Mailbag: Sabres, Ott, Panarin, Penguins, Lightning, CBA, IIHF
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include Artemi Panarin’s future which now won’t be with the Rangers, theorizing a possible Nikita Kucherov extension, and much more. We had enough questions from our latest callout for two more columns so if your question doesn’t appear here, watch for it in one of those.
12Kelly: I really think the Sabres should re-sign Tuch and continue to build this team around the core of Tuch, Thompson, Dahlin, etc. The talent is in place to be able to deal from our young players such as Ostlund, Rosen, and maybe even Power to acquire a solid secondary scorer. Thoughts?
I imagine most Buffalo fans want to see Alex Tuch re-signed to a long-term deal. At a time when the team is trying to make the playoffs and emerge from a rebuild that has had several iterations already, losing a top-line winger is going to make that process much more difficult. Yes, it’s going to cost a lot of money (he’s not going to be on a value contract anymore) and with the long-term extension given to Josh Doan this week, it’s not going to leave a lot for pending RFA Zach Benson, among their others who need new deals. But this is a case of sign him and figure it out later.
While I agree philosophically that your other suggestion of moving youth for win-now help makes sense in the long haul, I’m not sure now is the right time for that. Right now, the Sabres are doing so well that it’d be hard to mess with team chemistry. And given how largely inexperienced they are, I’d want to see how their current core fares with the prospect of meaningful games down the stretch and possibly the playoffs. I’d then use those evaluations to help determine how best to proceed over the summer. By then, they’ll know what’s happening with Tuch and whether they’re needing to replace him. Meanwhile, if they do re-sign him, they may be hard-pressed to afford another top-six piece for next season.
I want to highlight Owen Power specifically for a moment. Yes, he’s overpaid for the role he has right now but Bowen Byram is eligible for unrestricted free agency in less than a year and a half. If you trade Power for a scorer and then Byram goes elsewhere in 2027, now the back end is in trouble. If they can extend Byram, then Power looks like more of a viable trade chip. Needing to wait to do an extension (that can’t happen until this July) should take Power off the table for the time being.
vincent k. mcmahon: What are your thoughts on Steve Ott being named the HC of the Thunderbirds for the rest of the season?
Also, do you think this is a potential tryout for Ott to be the next HC if the Blues move on from Jim Montgomery? (which I don’t foresee happening but it’s not completely off the table).
I’m a little surprised it took this long for Ott to get that spot. I thought he’d have landed it a couple of years ago when Steve Konowalchuk took over behind their bench. By all accounts, Ott has done a very solid job behind the bench in St. Louis since ending his playing career to the point where he has been brought up as a speculative head coaching candidate off and on the last two offseasons. This is the next logical step in his coaching career.
If things go well (it’s always a little tough with more veteran-laden teams where the floor is high but the ceiling often low) and things turn around down the stretch, Ott might get serious head coaching consideration this summer. Realistically, it might take another year or two. By then, we’ll know if the Blues are partway through a rebuild or if they’re still trying to win with a veteran core in which case a rookie head coach might not make the most sense for them.
That said, knowing that the shelf life of an NHL head coach is often only a few years, there’s a possibility that the window lines up for Ott and the Blues. But I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s already behind another NHL bench by the time St. Louis ponders its next coaching change down the road.
LA All Day: I’m curious as to where the Artemi Panarin sweepstakes are at, and if the Kings are considered a frontrunner or possible landing spot here. Does Holland’s aggressive nature end up landing the Kings their much-needed scorer, or will another team end up out-bidding LA once again?
Tucsontoro1: Should the Hawks make a serious run at Panarin?
At this point, it’s too early in the process to call anyone a frontrunner for Panarin. By all accounts, his goal was to re-sign with the Rangers. He just wasn’t willing to take a big discount to do so but I believe his and his agent’s expectation was that eventually, something would get done. While he didn’t say much in the aftermath of the letter that GM Chris Drury released a little more than a week ago, I think the confusion he spoke about was genuine. To go from that to having a shortlist of teams to go to in a week seems a little too quick for me.
I don’t expect Panarin to give the Rangers a big list of teams he’d be willing to go to. And with full trade protection, he controls the show. I could see the list only being two or three teams deep. Whoever those are will be the ultimate frontrunners. It might take until after the Olympics for that list to be presented.
As for the Kings specifically, they need offense and Panarin brings a lot of it so from that standpoint, there’s a fit. I’m not sure he necessarily fits in with the way they play but talent is talent and they need more firepower. Sometimes, it’s best not to overthink it. They’re also a big-market team and that mattered to Panarin in free agency. Having said that, given their inability to get past the first round in recent years and that they continue to spin their wheels, so to speak, I’d be surprised if Los Angeles is on that shortlist. If they are, however, they have the cap space and some younger assets that might appeal to the Rangers so they could make a real push for him. I expect GM Ken Holland would go big on an offer, especially if it comes with a contract extension.
Chicago is an interesting idea. Is he too old to fit in with their young core? Probably. But at the same time, they need a legitimate influx of firepower and for all the cap space and young assets they have, they haven’t been able to get a true top liner. They’ve done alright with some in-between fillers (Tyler Bertuzzi, for example) but Panarin’s at another level. But for the fit to be viable, there would have to be a contract extension as part of the swap. Trading for Panarin as a rental isn’t a great idea for a team whose playoff aspirations aren’t the greatest. But if Panarin is willing to return to the Blackhawks for the longer term, putting him as Connor Bedard’s winger (or anchoring a second line) would certainly help get them to the next phase in their rebuild, one that sees them legitimately battling for a playoff spot.
rayk: The NYR now have only $2.26 mill in cap space. Even at the deadline, how can they find teams Panarin okays (has NMC) that can afford him at his big salary, even with some salary retention? Most of the contenders have little cap space also, and will need the max retained.
For the Rangers, that cap space number is with Panarin on the books in full at $11.643MM. Even if they retain the maximum of 50% of that, they’re still freeing up over $5.8MM (in full-season space) so they’re more than fine in that regard. Now, it does limit them a bit in that they can’t take much more back in offsetting salary than what they’re freeing up but it will be more than workable for them to find a suitable trade for him.
A roughly $5.82MM price tag (with max retention) is a lot for some contenders to afford today. But six weeks from now at the trade deadline, it’s a lot easier. A team with around $2.5MM in space today has over $5MM at the deadline, assuming no other roster moves are made between now and then.
Looking at some playoff teams (or close enough teams) that have around $5MM in room at the deadline (per PuckPedia), I see Colorado, Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Minnesota, Utah, Carolina, Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh above that threshold. Several others are already there that aren’t playoff threats at the moment but things could change between now and then. Are all of them going to want Panarin? Or, more specifically, how many of those will he want? I wouldn’t be too worried about the cap element, it will be workable enough for New York to get a good return.
Specialist412: Do you think the Pens will be buyers or sellers? Dubas is real quiet right now, I wonder if he has something big up his sleeve.
Kyle Dubas has never been shy about taking swings but I think deep down, he knows this core is not good enough to be a long-term contender. So I don’t see him being a big buyer, at a minimum. If they’re still in the mix six weeks from now, they have extra picks in the second and third rounds for each of the next three years. Flipping one or two of those for short-term help would make sense and could be justified within the context of not significantly affecting their long-term core or depleting their prospect pool. I doubt they’d do more than that, though.
I think his preference would be to capitalize on a seller’s market if they’re out of the race. The parity plays into the favor of whoever decides to sell given that there will be more buyers than sellers so there should be good returns out there, especially for someone like Rickard Rakell who it feels like has been in trade speculation for years now. But the fact they’re in the race will cause them to push pause for the time being and assess things coming out of the Olympic break.
Central Notes: Stanley, Lyubushkin, Johannesson
Logan Stanley’s first several years with Winnipeg were full of starts and stops with injuries and healthy scratches along the way. But this season has been a breakout one for the 27-year-old who has already set career highs in goals (eight) and points (17) while averaging 16:34 per night, also a personal best. The timing is ideal, too, as he’s slated to test the open market this summer. To that end, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period noted on a recent DFO Rundown (video link) that the Jets have held discussions with Stanley’s camp about an extension. However, it’s believed his current asking price is one that the team isn’t willing to meet. With Winnipeg falling out of the playoff race, Stanley could find himself in trade talks before too long if the sides aren’t able to bridge the gap in the coming weeks.
More from the Central:
- Stars defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin is expected to travel with the team for their upcoming road trip but is listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s game in St. Louis, relays D Magazine’s Robert Tiffin (Twitter link). He exited Friday’s contest early due to a lower-body injury. Lyubushkin has seven points, 67 blocks, and 54 hits in 39 games so far this season while averaging 16:10 per night in a third-pairing role. Dallas doesn’t have an open roster spot so if they want to bring someone up in the meantime, either Lyubushkin would have to go on IR or someone else would need to be sent down first.
- Blues prospect Samuel Johannesson is expected to sign with SHL Frolunda next season, according to a report from Expressen’s Mattias Persson and Johan Svensson. The 25-year-old blueliner is in his second season in North America and has played exclusively with AHL Springfield so far. After putting up 32 points in 66 games in his rookie campaign last season, Johannesson’s numbers are down this season with two goals and nine assists through 26 contests. Persson and Svensson add that several NLA teams had also shown interest in Johannesson but instead, he opted to return home. An official signing announcement won’t come until after the season.
Lightning Place Charle-Edouard D’Astous On IR, Recall Maxim Groshev
Another shakeup is inbound for the Tampa Bay Lightning defense. Budding youngster Charle-Edouard D’Astous has been placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and recalled Maxim Groshev, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. D’Astous left Tampa Bay’s Saturday loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third period after a leg-on-leg collision.
It seems that hit will leave more than just a bruise and D’Astous will now be required to miss at least one week of action. Tampa Bay plays two games in the next week. D’Astous will be eligible to return just before Tampa Bay’s Stadium Series matchup against the Boston Bruins on February 1st.
D’Astous has climbed into an important role for the Bolts in his rookie NHL season. He has averaged 19:23 in ice time through 43 games and ranks second on the blue-line in scoring with 17 points. He has also racked up 45 blocks and 53 hits. The undrafted D’Astous has had a breakout season this year, enough to earn a one-year extension with the Lightning earlier in the season. As a veteran of the ECHL, his climb up the depth chart has been impressive, and should continue on the other side of a stinging injury.
In the meantime, Groshev will return to the NHL. He made his NHL debut on December 28th and recorded one assist. It was a strong first-look, though Groshev has run into a quiet streak in eight games since returning to the minors. He still ranks second on the Syracuse Crunch’s blue-line in scoring with 13 points in 35 games. That performance has been enough to pull the 24 year old up Tampa Bay’s call-up sheet – and may even earn him a return to the NHL lineup. Groshev is a left-defender, like D’Astous, which could give him the advantage over right-defense Simon Lundmark who is in Tampa Bay’s press box.
Avalanche Activate Scott Wedgewood; Reassign Jack Ahcan, Isak Posch
Goaltender Scott Wedgewood is back with the Colorado Avalanche after welcoming the birth of his second child. He has been activataed from the non-roster list, while defenseman Jack Ahcan and goaltender Isak Posch have been reassigned to the minor-leagues.
Ahcan has played three games since being recalled before Wednesday’s shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks. He recorded one assist, three shots on goal, and a minus-one in the trio of appearances. Those marks bring Ahcan up to two points in nine NHL games this season. He also leads the AHL’s Colorado Eagles defense in scoring with 24 points in 29 games. The 28 year old has proven a reliable utility-knife down Colorado’s depth chart. He will return to a minor-league role and stay a top call-up option for the next time the Avalanche are in need.
Posch did not play with the Avalanche on what was the first call-up of his pro career. He has recorded a 12-5-5 record and .902 save percentage in 20 games as an AHL rookie this season.
Wedgewood missed Colorado’s last two games on his personal leave. Top goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood took over the net and posted a 1-1 record, while allowing eight goals. Wedgewood has earned the lion’s share of Colorado’s starts this season, while Blackwood recovered from injury. He has recorded a dazzling 20-3-5 record and .918 save percentage in 30 games, both just better than Blackwood’s 14-3-1 record and .911 Sv%. The two will continue to operate as one of the best one-two-punches in the league now that Wedgewood is back with the team.
Senators Activate Linus Ullmark From Non-Roster List
The Senators have reinstated Linus Ullmark to the active roster for today’s game against the Golden Knights, per Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. He won’t be getting the start but will serve as the backup to Mads Søgaard.
Tonight will be Ullmark’s first time dressing for a game in nearly a month. After conceding four goals on 14 shots against the Maple Leafs on Dec. 27 and being pulled from the game, he took a personal leave of absence from the team the following day.
He’s been practicing with Ottawa for more than a week to get back into game conditioning, though. He first returned to team skates on Jan. 16 and will likely be ticketed for his first start next Wednesday against the Avalanche without a conditioning stint with AHL Belleville.
Ottawa hasn’t gotten good goaltending out of any personnel they’ve tried this season. It’s toughest to swallow, though, when those numbers are coming from a goalie with the fifth-highest cap hit among active netminders. Even still, Ullmark’s .881 SV% and 2.95 GAA are the best among the five goalies to suit up for the Sens this year, and he’s the only one with a winning record at 14-8-5. Regardless of his struggles, he’s been the Sens’ clear-cut best option this season and will be their best chance to win down the stretch.
While this season looks more and more like a lost one, Ullmark getting his numbers back to last season’s form and retaining his confidence after his reset would bode well for the Sens’ chances of getting back to the playoffs next year. With a .909 SV% and 13.8 goals saved above expected, he was one of the biggest reasons Ottawa ended its eight-year playoff drought in 2024-25.
Image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images.
KHL Notes: Kostin, Wilson, Loktionov, Kisakov
Today was the KHL’s deadline for both trades and free-agent moves, leading to a flurry of activity. Among the notable moves included CSKA Moscow acquiring former first-round pick Klim Kostin from Avangard Omsk.
Kostin, 26, headed back home last summer after being non-tendered by the Sharks. San Jose was his fourth NHL stop after being selected 31st overall by the Blues in 2017, coming after short stints with the Oilers and Red Wings. He only got into 35 games last year and was limited to a goal and seven points, so letting him go in exchange for more roster flexibility was a no-brainer move for San Jose.
Unfortunately for Kostin, his fortunes haven’t changed back in Russia. Drafted as a potential top-nine power forward, his offense simply never developed where it needed to. He was likely hoping a drop in competition against KHL talent compared to NHL players would boost his numbers, but he’s only managed two assists and a -7 rating in 21 outings for Avangard this year.
More out of Russia’s top league:
- Former NHLers Andrei Loktionov and Scott Wilson were swapped for each other, with the former headed from SKA St. Petersburg to Sibir Novosibirsk while Wilson heads to SKA. Both have Stanley Cup rings in depth roles, Loktionov’s coming with the Kings in 2012 and Wilson with the Penguins in 2017. The former is now 35 years old, and while he’d remained a productive piece late into his career, he’s been deeply affected by decline this season and has just one goal in 34 games for SKA. Wilson, who last played in North America in 2022 and is in his fourth KHL season, has 10 goals and 18 points in 43 outings.
- Ex-Sabres prospect Alexander Kisakov is also on the move, going from Dynamo Moscow to Traktor Chelyabinsk in exchange for cash. A second-rounder in 2021, he had just 14 goals and 25 points in 93 games for AHL Rochester before being non-tendered last summer. His return home hasn’t gone well, either. He had just one goal in 17 showings for Dynamo and has even spent some time in the second-tier VHL, where he’s expected to remain with Chelyabinsk’s affiliate, Chelmet.
Wild Reassign David Spacek
The Wild have reassigned defenseman David Spacek to AHL Iowa, the team announced. There is no corresponding move yet, although it could be an indication that Zach Bogosian will be ready to come off injured reserve for Tuesday’s game against the Blackhawks.
Taken in the fifth round of the 2022 draft, Spacek is in his third season with the organization and has earned his first set of recalls – three of them, to be exact – this season. The 6’0″ righty has been mostly used as press box fodder but finally made his NHL debut this month, suiting up twice against the Jets on Jan. 15 and against the Canadiens on Jan. 20.
The son of longtime NHL defender Jaroslav Spacek had his ice time capped at just 10:45 per game, recording a -1 rating with two blocks and one hit. He was otherwise held off the scoresheet and controlled just 19.6% of shot attempts at even strength, the worst figure among any Wild skater to step on the ice for them this season.
The Czech puck-mover has put together some good seasons in a disastrous minor-league environment in Iowa, though. He led the team’s blue line in scoring last season with 31 points in 72 games and is now second on the team in scoring overall this season with a 3-16–19 line in 35 showings. He’s also suited up for the Czech men’s national team at the last two World Championships and will be joining the club at next month’s Olympics as NHLers return to the event.
It’s a contract year for Spacek, who’s a pending restricted free agent in the final season of his entry-level agreement. He’s due a two-way qualifying offer of $813,750, something the Wild are likely to offer him if they haven’t reached an agreement by the end of June, given his promising AHL performances.
Blues’ Dylan Holloway Had MRI, Remains Day-To-Day
When Dylan Holloway returned to the Blues’ lineup last weekend after missing 15 games with an ankle fracture, his comeback was short-lived. He made just one appearance, logging a -2 rating in 12:45 of ice time against the Oilers, before coming back out of the lineup.
He hasn’t been placed on IR again, and for now, it doesn’t appear he will. Head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters yesterday (including NHL.com’s Lou Korac) that Holloway had an MRI this week to see if any structural damage remained following the fracture, but that the results were negative.
Instead, his absence from the lineup is more about pain management and getting used to the scar tissue that formed as a result of the fracture, Montgomery said. “It’s a tough injury. It’s just him now getting used to the fact that there’s going to be some scar tissue that he’s going to have to deal with. I guess it’s a little more painful when you come back a little earlier than if you let it heal another week.”
Whether the Blues will be willing to hold Holloway out – or if he’s even willing to sit out long enough to get back to 100% – remains to be seen. It’s clear he wanted playing time as soon as possible and pushed the envelope on his initial return. On a damaged ankle, though, it’s going to be tough for him to turn around what’s been a disappointing second season in St. Louis.
The offer-sheet acquisition from Edmonton in 2024 was one of the league’s best breakout stories last season, emerging as the true top-six threat he was expected to become when the Oilers took him No. 14 overall in 2020. He finished third on the Blues in scoring behind Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou with 26 goals and 63 points in 77 games before a late-season lower-body injury kept him out of the playoffs.
This season, though, he’s clicked at a 41-point pace despite averaging nearly a minute more of ice time per game. His shooting percentage has dropped back down to a more sustainable 10.1% after finishing at a 14.6% last year, giving him eight goals and 17 points in 34 appearances on the year.
His possession impacts have remained far more beneficial than his -13 rating would otherwise indicate, too. There’s plenty of motivation to chalk up his disappointing scoring line to the Blues’ league-worst offense and subpar finishing from everywhere in the lineup, but the pending restricted free agent’s outlook for his next contract has certainly dipped from when his stock was at an all-time high last summer.
Senators Recall Mads Sogaard, Reassign Hunter Shepard
Jan. 25: After making it through last night’s game without a goalie injury, the Senators reassigned Shepard to Belleville today, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports. After Reimer allowed four goals on 19 shots for a .789 save percentage in last night’s loss to the Hurricanes, that means Søgaard is the likely starter this evening against the Golden Knights. They’re now back to having an open spot on the active roster.
Jan. 24: The Senators have recalled goaltender Mads Søgaard from AHL Belleville, per a team announcement. To open a roster spot, they placed winger David Perron on injured reserve, per PuckPedia. They announced on Thursday that Perron will miss five to seven weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia.
Ottawa has spent much of the season swapping depth goaltending options to serve as backups to Linus Ullmark or, now, to recent free-agent signing James Reimer while Ullmark remains on leave. This isn’t that. The Senators have had Hunter Shepard backing up Reimer for the last two games, and he’s sticking around. Instead, Ottawa plans to carry three goalies amid the winter storm slated to hit the Eastern seaboard during their back-to-back home games tonight and tomorrow, to avoid a situation where weather prevents them from adding a Belleville netminder in case of injury.
It is the 25-year-old Dane’s third recall of the season. He backed up Ullmark in an overtime loss to the Oilers on Oct. 21 and also dressed for a pair of games earlier this month. He entered an 8-2 loss to the Avalanche on Jan. 8 in relief of Leevi Merilainen and allowed five goals on 16 shots for a harsh .688 SV% and 17.22 GAA.
Small sample size aside, it hasn’t been a kind season for Søgaard, nor has it been one for virtually any Sens netminder in the NHL or AHL. In 18 games with Belleville, he’s posted a .889 SV% and 4-8-4 record with a 3.30 GAA and one shutout.
While Søgaard was the third goalie taken in the 2019 draft behind Spencer Knight and Pyotr Kochetkov, it’s becoming abundantly clear that a stable NHL future isn’t in the cards for the 6’7″, 231-lb giant. In 30 appearances for the Sens since debuting five years ago, he’s logged an 11-11-3 record with a .875 SV% and 3.70 GAA.
Nonetheless, he will be heading to Italy next month to serve with teammate Lars Eller on Denmark’s Olympic team. It’s his second time on the men’s national team roster for a non-qualifying tournament, last suiting up as the backup at the 2021 World Championship.
The Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin Dilemma
If you’ve been checking the NHL’s Eastern Conference standings, you’ll notice a surprising team near the top of the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins, who entered the season as a first-overall pick favorite, have shocked everyone by remaining in the hunt to this point in the season.
Your eyes aren’t deceiving you; the Penguins have been that good this year, despite a disastrous stretch in December that saw them drop nine of 10 games and blow multiple three-goal third-period leads. But with every Penguins win, it becomes clearer that many of the veterans on the trading block will be sticking around for this year and perhaps beyond.
One of those veterans is 39-year-old Evgeni Malkin, who at the start of this year seemed like a potential trade candidate, or at the very least, a player who wouldn’t play in Pittsburgh beyond the 2025-26 season. With the Penguins in the hunt, young prospects turning to NHLers, the team holding onto other veterans, and Malkin turning back the clock, is it possible the Penguins offer Malkin an extension to stick around beyond this season?
The Blake Lizotte signing last week reveals a lot about where the Penguins’ general manager, Kyle Dubas, feels the team is right now. If he thought the team wasn’t a playoff team this year, he likely would’ve been working the phones to move the depth center for picks or prospects, as he has been collecting those types of pieces for the better part of two years.
But Lizotte’s extension signals a change in philosophy, sort of. Dubas has been a bargain shopper for the last two summers, and even though Lizotte received a raise in his new deal, it could turn out to be a bargain if he plays the way he has this season.
That leads us back to Malkin. When Dubas spoke about the future Hall of Famer before this season, he likely believed he would be selling off assets towards the trade deadline and overseeing the third and possibly final year of the Penguins’ retool.
But the team and Malkin have surprised everyone thus far, and as the Penguins play more hockey, it becomes increasingly clear that Malkin can still produce. Just look at the ten-game stretch in December when they couldn’t buy a win.
Who wasn’t in their lineup for that? Malkin.
Malkin returned to the Penguins lineup on Jan. 8 and made an immediate impact, scoring a power-play marker on a one-timer from Sidney Crosby. He missed over a month with a shoulder injury, and Pittsburgh badly missed him on their second line.
His return didn’t exactly spark the team, as they had won five in a row leading up to it, but he certainly didn’t hurt, and Pittsburgh has gone 4-2-2 since he’s come back.
Then there’s also the optics of signing Malkin. With Kris Letang and Crosby still in the fold, signing ‘Geno’ would mean the big three playing another season together in their record-setting run, which would surely be a feel-good story, especially if more young Penguins graduate to the NHL and make an impact.
Pittsburgh could see Rutger McGroarty, Harrison Brunicke, Sergey Murashov, and Tristan Broz all jump to the NHL next season, which would be a massive youth movement for the team.
With these young pieces mixed in with Pittsburgh’s big three, as well as Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Thomas Novak, there is the potential to make some noise in the Eastern Conference. Especially for a team that is armed with over $50MM in available cap space and an army surplus store full of draft picks in the subsequent three drafts.
The last time the Penguins had this level of youth in their pipeline was 2015, when Rust, Matt Murray, Conor Sheary, Tom Kuhnhackl, Scott Wilson, and eventually Jake Guentzel all jumped to the NHL, and Pittsburgh won back-to-back Stanley Cups. That’s not to say Pittsburgh is on the verge of a mini-dynasty in the twilight years of Malkin’s career.
Still, if they are on the verge of being competitive at all, which it looks like they could be, Malkin deserves to stick around with his buddies, especially if he can contribute rather than just partake in a nostalgia tour.
So, what should the Penguins do with one of the most beloved Penguins ever? It feels like it’s time to sign him to an extension.
Pittsburgh has the cap space, Malkin isn’t going to ask for the moon, and there really isn’t a Malkin replacement available in free agency. He also doesn’t need to be a center at this stage of his career and is quite competent on the wing, as he showed last season playing alongside Crosby on the top line.
It was reported last summer by Penguins play-by-play voice Josh Getzoff that Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas planned to meet with Malkin during the Olympic break, and as of right now, that appears to be the plan. But what could a Malkin deal look like?
It could be pretty straightforward. Take the framework of the Jonathan Toews contract with the Winnipeg Jets this season and perhaps double the guarantee.
Would that get it done? Hard to say, but according to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, Malkin is willing to take a pay cut and a one-year deal.
Pittsburgh gets a top-six forward, Malkin adds to his legacy, and Pittsburgh avoids painting itself into a long-term predicament, remaining fluid for future moves. Everybody wins, especially the fans in Pittsburgh and, most importantly, Malkin’s teammates, including Crosby.