I can’t go anywhere these last couple of weeks without someone asking me, “Have you heard the rumors about a Malkin trade?” All players are trade able in my book but;
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Center Evgeni Malkin is not getting traded, not unless he wants to be traded, so let’s stop with the foolish rumors. These rumors are more than likely a failing GM trying to posture and preen and redirect attention from his own culpability in the Penguins’ recent unpleasantness. Evgeni Malkin has a No Movement Clause NMC in his contract. According to Capfriendly and other sites, this means he cannot be traded, waived, or demoted to the minors without his consent, end of story.
That doesn’t mean that Malkin will not be traded, only that all alluded threats by Jim Rutherford in the media are baseless. Rutherford can only move Malkin if he wants to be moved. And there are only 2 ways I can see Malkin wanting to move; Mike Sullivan and lackey Rutherford would have to make the work environment for Malkin so toxic that he would ask to be moved, or some other player from another team would talk him into asking to be traded to the same team as he is playing on.
If Rutherford is trying to create a toxic environment for Malkin (maybe at Sullivan’s request?) with a veiled media campaign of trade talks then once again this points to it being well past time for the Penguins’ GM and coach to get on with their life’s work, to quote Chuck Noll. If all of these trade rumors are being started as a “Mean Girls”, High School, unprofessional gamut to force Malkin out of the ‘burgh because Sullivan can’t play nice with any of his players, it is just one more piece of evidence that Bill Guerin needs to take over the reins and a new Coach brought in, a GM and Coach that understand that in modern Hockey you need Center depth and that Coaches can’t alienate their players; a Coach that understands that he is more expendable than half of a roster every season and gets players to play for him and does not try to bully them with maniacal tirades or aloof distancing.
Having written all of the above, I must acknowledge an interesting rumor I have heard. Malkin may just be more than willing to go. Before I go any further with this rumor I must qualify it by saying that the rumor monger who related it to me was not someone with whom I am ready to say has strong knowledge of the inner workings.
What they have suggested is a reverse of what I wanted the Penguins to do. As I have mentioned in the past, Artemi Panarin is rumored to be all but sign, sealed, and delivered to Joel Quenneville/Florida Panthers. I wanted the Penguins to get Malkin to try and talk Panarin into coming to our fair city. However, the new rumor I have heard is that Panarin is talking Malkin into going to Florida and that could be devastating. Florida could never really compensate the Penguins anywhere close to what Malkin is worth but the idiotic posturing of the media rumors could make it a viable option for Malkin. And not only would the Penguins lose a player that should retire a Penguin but they would get something akin to the Jaromir Jagr deal of yore in return, the next Kris Beech, Michal Sivek, and Ross Lupashuck.
No I don’t believe this rumor. Maybe my disbelief is due to me having a deeper belief in the old saying believe only half of what you see and nothing of what you hear. Maybe my disbelief is due to the incredible stupidity of the farce now playing on the stage. Regardless of why, no I don’t believe it. I just am acknowledging its existence since this would be one way a player with a NMC could be moved.
In the end, I am extremely disappointed in the Penguins’ front office as they try and turn my favorite hockey team into the NHL’s version of the NFL’s Steelers/Kardashians with all of their childish drama.
The Other Rick
I respectfully dis-agree on Malkin – There comes a time when every Front office
has to decide if a players career is starting into a rapid decent – Malkin’s time
has come. i’m not sure if he would agree to a trade but I do think it’s in the
best interest of the Penguins organization to listen to any and all offers.
No one wants to see Malkin go and you may argue he still has something left
in the tank – I for one have been more than frustrated with Malkin’s lackadaisical
approach, poor decisions with the puck and lack of effort defensively. You point
to Sullivan and Rutherford – Sullivan has been guilty of pushing several players
out of the Burg but I can’t blame him for holding players accountable.
Malkin, Letang, Kessel are tough players to Coach – The only thing the average
fan thinks and cares about are goals / points. Its Sullivan’s job to emphasize the
little detailed things that win Cups – he has (3) players that when on the ice want
to do their own thing. ‘ITS TIME FOR A MAJOR TRADE”
i heard a Malkin to Florida rumor – Pen’s would get Trocheck plus 2 or 3 other
players – its a good start – acquiring a solid young 2nd line center to play behind
Sid. The Pen’s have to change the makeup of there team – Everyone wants skilled
players but as I said before Skill without Will is useless. Pens are in dire need of
some “WIT” players – WHATEVER IT TAKES.
The Other Rick – Good article – as always a great conversation piece. I’m looking
forward to the draft in June.
Thanks Mike,
I do agree that if the right deal comes along everyone can be traded. However, as everything is playing out, JR and Sullivan are far more problematic to this team than any player. I have said it many times in the past and will again, if the only player who ran afoul of Sullivan and by extension JR was Malkin, then it is Malkin, if it is just Malkin and Letang, then maybe it still is Malkin and Letang (especially in Letang’s case since Sullivan played him the 2nd most TOI/GP in the regular season in his career Letang’s short comings are on Sullivan). But now it seems that the list has grown from Cole, Reaves, Oleksiak, Sprong, Malkin, Kessel, and Letang to be the whole team. No one showed up for the playoffs except Malkin, Kessel, Wilson, and Murray.
If Malkin was that big of a problem this playoff he would have had a worse +/- than Crosby’s -4 and less points than Crosby’s 1 assist. Since Crosby no showed, it is Sullivan than needs to go.
If Guerin comes in and he and his new coach were to workout a deal that really does include Trochek, and is beneficial to the Pens then great, trade Malkin.