Evgeni Malkin to the Wild blockbuster proposal trade comes with a major catch

Evgeni Malkin in a Minnesota Wild sweater is still only a hypothetical, but it rests on a genuine report.

TSN's Darren Dreger said last week that Wild general manager Bill Guerin is interested in the Pittsburgh Penguins center, provided the price is right and Malkin is ready to move.

No trade has been reported, Malkin has not asked out, and Pittsburgh has not said it would listen.

One mock trade imagines Pittsburgh sending Malkin to Minnesota with half his salary retained, in exchange for forward Bobby Brink, prospect Hunter Haight and a 2027 first-round pick.

Guerin and Malkin won the 2009 Stanley Cup together in Pittsburgh.

Malkin, now 40, is playing on a one-year, $5.5 million contract and has six goals and 11 points through 14 games.

Minnesota's projected second line of Blake Coleman, Michael McCarron and Brink could use that kind of offence down the middle.

Salary retention is the key piece. Fifty percent would cut his cap hit to about $2.75 million, which matters because the Wild have roughly $3.4 million in space and a tight outlook later in the season.

His performance bonuses would also need separate accounting.

A first-round pick, a prospect and a regular forward is a steep cost for a 40-year-old on an expiring deal.

When Patrick Kane joined the New York Rangers in 2023, Chicago received a conditional second-round pick, a fourth-rounder and a depth player in a three-team trade.

That is a more realistic ceiling for a veteran rental.

Malkin also holds the strongest card.

He must submit a three-team trade list in January, and Minnesota only matters if it makes that list.

Pittsburgh's place in the standings by then will help Kyle Dubas decide whether moving a franchise icon is worth it.

For now, this is a storyline to watch into the new year rather than a deal on the horizon.

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