3 Potential Trade Destinations for Evgeni Malkin

Malkin could give the Wild a second line capable of driving play while Joel Eriksson Ek’s unit draws the tougher matchups. Minnesota could keep Eriksson Ek between Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy at five-on-five and still put Malkin and Kaprizov together on the power play. That would give the Wild another way to get the puck to Kaprizov in shooting areas without breaking up their top line.

Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton could make a call if it wants a second-line centre who can create his own offence. Malkin would give the Oilers more freedom to keep Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together, as they’ve done recently, while moving Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to the wing when needed. Fellow Russian Vasily Podkolzin could also be a fit on Malkin’s wing. His forechecking could win pucks back and give Malkin more time to work below the circles.

The sticking point is cap space. Edmonton has little room to work with, so a deal could require salary going out as well as retention. The Oilers would have to weigh that cost against a lineup option they already have in splitting McDavid and Draisaitl.

Montreal Canadiens

If Malkin wants to stay in the Eastern Conference, Montreal offers a clear role behind Nick Suzuki. The appeal is a potential pairing with fellow Russian Ivan Demidov once the winger is healthy. Demidov can carry the puck into the zone and draw defenders toward him, giving Malkin room to find soft spots in coverage. Malkin could also give Demidov an experienced centre to lean on during a playoff run.

For Montreal, the question is how much to spend on a short-term answer at centre. Minnesota has the strongest case today because Guerin’s interest has already surfaced. If Malkin wants another Cup run and the Wild are on his January list, Guerin has a reason to call Dubas early.