Evgeni Malkin linked to Western team in intriguing trade scenario involving former teammate
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Darren Dreger says Wild GM Bill Guerin likes Evgeni Malkin at the right price, but a January trade list and Pittsburgh's plans keep a deal far off.
Minnesota has Evgeni Malkin on its radar.
TSN insider Darren Dreger reported that Wild general manager Bill Guerin is interested in the Penguins center, but only if the price is right and Malkin is ready to move.
Why January matters
Malkin, 40, must submit a three-team trade list in January, which puts a date on this story.
Until then, it is interest rather than negotiation.
The Penguins have no current plan to move him, and he has not publicly asked for a trade.
Dreger's point was simple: if Pittsburgh is struggling by then, a player still producing at this level becomes a real trade candidate.
The Guerin connection
Guerin and Malkin were teammates in Pittsburgh in 2008-09 and 2009-10 and won the 2009 Stanley Cup together.
Malkin has three titles, all with the Penguins, and is in his 21st NHL season.
Minnesota also has Kirill Kaprizov, a fellow Russian star, which could help the Wild's case if Malkin is weighing destinations.
Cap and fit
Malkin carries a $5.5 million cap hit.
With 50 percent retention, the idea that was floated in the mock trade X post, Minnesota would absorb about $2.75 million, which looks manageable on paper.
He would add scoring depth down the middle without the long commitment a bigger swing would require.
The Wild have also been linked to Dylan Larkin, a situation that has not produced a deal, so Malkin could end up an alternative. That is speculation, not reporting.
What comes next
Nothing here is imminent. The deciding factor is Malkin himself.
A three-team list means Pittsburgh can only deal him to destinations he approves, and he has been reluctant to leave the only organization he has played for in the NHL.
Guerin's interest only becomes a real story if both sides move by January.
Also read on House Of Hockey :
Vancouver Canucks make headlines as their young goaltender has been traded in a huge OHL blockbuster
Vancouver Canucks make headlines as their young goaltender has been traded in a huge OHL blockbuster