Malkin’s Hot Start Puts Trade Questions in Spotlight

Evgeni Malkin is off to a scorching start for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and with his final contract year underway, speculation about a potential trade is intensifying. Rumored to be a potential trade piece for Pittsburgh, one has to wonder if Malkin were to continue his production, would it make him more or less likely to be traded?

The 39-year-old center has tallied two goals and seven assists in just six games this season, already matching nearly a fifth of his total points from last year’s down season (50 points in 68 games).

Much of Malkin’s early success comes from his newfound chemistry with Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha. The trio is producing a remarkable number of quality scoring chances, generating a higher expected goals rate than any line Malkin skated on last season. This is exactly the kind of thing the Penguins needed to have a chance this season, but it’s also the kind of personal production from Malkin that makes him attractive to other teams.

There’s a feeling he’ll stay in Pittsburgh and finish things out with Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang this season. However, there’s also been talk that a club like the Florida Panthers might see Malkin as a good option to replace Aleksander Barkov. The more Malkin scores, the more likely Florida wonders if he would be a fit.

Will the Penguins Move a Red Hot Malkin?

The hotter Malkin stays, the more difficult a decision to trade him potentially becomes. He’s got a no-move clause, meaning he can stay if he wants one more run. But if the discussion around a trade to the Florida Panthers gets louder, perhaps Malkin wonders if he’s got a better chance of winning if he approves of a deal. The Penguins would certainly get more in return if Malkin is a point-per-game player.