After an eight-game losing streak had the Pittsburgh Penguins looking like the lottery team many expected before the season, they’ve completely flipped the script.
The Penguins are back in a playoff spot thanks to winning six of their last seven, which has coincided with the return of Evgeni Malkin, and as a result, a return to the postseason for the first time since 2021–22 feels legitimately plausible. With that being the case, it begs the question: why do trade rumors surrounding Malkin continue to surface?
The lifelong Penguin has made it abundantly clear he only wants to play in Pittsburgh alongside Sidney Crosby, and any chatter about him leaving should have quieted down even further given the team’s recent surge.
Despite that, speculation persists. The latest came from Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, who suggested Kirill Kaprizov could be attempting to lure his fellow countryman to Minnesota, where Bill Guerin — a former teammate of Malkin’s in Pittsburgh — is running the show.
You can connect the dots and understand why Malkin makes a lot of sense for a Wild team in need of help down the middle. But let’s be honest: he’s playing elite hockey on a playoff-contending team he’s never wanted to leave in the first place. He’s not going anywhere.
Evgeni Malkin Is Likely to Extend in Pittsburgh
To further quiet any talk of Malkin bolting for Minnesota or elsewhere, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported just last week that the 39-year-old intends to play next season — and wants it to be in Pittsburgh.
“He absolutely wants to play next year and wants it to be in Pittsburgh,”
Malkin has looked fantastic this season, producing at over a point per game with 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) in just 28 games played, so there’s no doubt GM Kyle Dubas will want to bring him back, and money won’t be an obstacle given the ample cap space they’re projected to have.
For most of his career, voices around the hockey world have tried to push Malkin out of Pittsburgh in hopes of seeing him escape Crosby’s shadow and lead his own team. Twenty years later, he’s still having to explain that he doesn’t want to do it, so at some point, it’s time to accept reality: Evgeni Malkin is a Penguin, and he intends to stay one.
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