Apparently, negotiations between the Penguins and Evgeni Malkin have hit an impasse. Barring any last-minute breakthrough, it appears the big center plans to test the free-agent market come Wednesday.
According to a report from Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff, Ron Hextall offered Geno a four-deal for $6.1 million a year, which surprised me. I thought we had a three-year-deal on the table and that Malkin and his agent were pushing for that fourth year or a bump in salary. Despite Geno hinting that he’s a “pretty rich guy” and would accept a team-friendly deal, it seems to be about the Benjamins after all.
Like a couple headed for divorce court, neither side seems inclined to budge.
Personally, it would be incredibly sad to see Geno finish his NHL career elsewhere. It goes without saying he’s been an enormous contributor to the team’s success, garnering two Art Ross Trophys, a Hart Trophy, a Conn Smythe Trophy and a Calder Trophy during an incredible Cup-filled 16-season run. In fact, our present postseason streak commenced with No. 71’s clandestine arrival from Russia back in 2006.
The numbers speak for themselves…a staggering 444 goals, 702 assists and 1146 points in 981 regular-season games. Sixty-seven postseason goals (third on the Pens all-time) and 180 points (second on the list). Seventy-eight regular-season game winning goals, tied with Sidney Crosby and Jaromir Jagr for the most in team history.
I still remember some of his early goals. One in particular against the Devils Hall-of-Famer Martin Brodeur that was pure electric, foretelling the sheer brilliance that was to come. The 2009 Eastern Conference Final, when he scored six goals (including “the Geno”) to single-handedly destroy Jim Rutherford’s Cardiac ‘Canes.
His magnificent 2011-12 season, when he returned from knee surgery like a runaway freight train to tally 50 goals and 109 points and make a clean sweep the of the major awards, including the Lester B. Pearson (now the Ted Lindsay Award), the MVP as selected by the NHLPA.
That season Geno was, pure and simple, the most dominant player I’d seen since Mario Lemieux, possessing a top gear that few if any others have displayed.
Fast forward to the present. Coming off major knee surgery and soon to turn 36, Malkin still produces at a point-per-game clip and remains deadly as snake venom on the power play. However, he isn’t the player he once was. Few players are at that age. He’s still dynamic at times, but not on a consistent basis. As I wrote in a previous article, he’s kind of like a sine wave on an oscilloscope. Up and down and all points in between.
A lack of productive wingers on his flanks certainly hasn’t helped, although I wonder if it’s a case of the chicken or the egg. Since his return doesn’t seem likely, I guess we’ll find out.
I don’t blame Hextall and the Pens for drawing a hard line in the sand. Given Geno’s recent health history (he’s only appeared in 74 of the team’s last 138 regular-season games) I’m surprised they offered him that fourth year. As for Malkin, you certainly can’t blame him for trying to get what he feels he’s worth. Especially since in all likelihood this is his last NHL contract.
Just wish it hadn’t come to this. Like Jagr before him, another all-time Penguin great leaving on less-than-ideal terms, with hurt feelings to boot.
Kinda stinks, to put it mildly.
Rakell Signs
Hours after talks broke off with Malkin, the Pens signed soon-to-be UFA forward Rickard Rakell to a six-year pact with an average annual value of $5 million.
Acquired from Anaheim at the trade deadline, the 29-year-old Rakell tallied four goals and 13 points in 19 regular-season games while displaying an impressive array of skills and great chemistry with Crosby.
Over the course of his career, the 6’1” 195-pounder topped the 30-goal mark twice and notched 20 goals on two other occasions, including last season.
With Rakell signed, Hextall has roughly $10.3 million in cap space to flesh out the team. Which would seem to preclude a Malkin return.
More on Heinen
According to reports, Danton Heinen is seeking a deal worth $3 million…probably a little too rich for the Pens’ blood. Which explains why we non-tendered him.
Among other RFA forwards turned UFAs? According to an article on Pensburgh, Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome (Chicago), Sonny Milano (Anaheim) and Brendan Lemieux (Los Angeles), son of Claude.
All sound intriguing. Milano (77% WAR) had great underlying stats. Strome is a big center (6’3” 200) who tallied 22 goals and 48 points for the ‘Hawks. He earned $3 million. Kubalik scored 30 goals as a rookie in 2019-20. And Lemieux is a feisty, aggressive enforcer/winger…the kind I covet. He pulled down $1.55 million last season.
UPDATE
In other free-agent news, Evan Rodrigues also plans to test the free-agent waters. The possession-driving forward enjoyed a bit of a break-out season in 2021-22, notching career-highs in goals (19), assists (24) and points (43). Durable as well as versatile, E-Rod skated in all 82 regular-season games…the only member of the black and gold to do so.
In addition, he was one of the Pens best players in the postseason, tallying three goals and five points during the seven-game set against the Rangers, including a two-goal, three-point effort to pace a Game 3 victory.
However, it truly was a tale of two seasons for the shifty 28-year-old forward. He tallied 15 goals and 30 points in his first 33 games, then literally fell off a cliff to the tune of four goals and 13 points over his last 49 regular-season contests. A precipitous drop that, ironically, coincided with Malkin’s return to the lineup.
No doubt Rodrigues is seeking a significant raise from the $1 million he earned for his career season.
Hey Rick !!!
Stop the presses !!! Malkin is back…
He Agreed to a 4 year deal at 6.1 million per year. This was announced 20 minutes ago as I was just going to bed and i checked the NHL feed one last time. (1 .20 am my time. )
What a day folks ? Do you think we will ever know what really happened in the past 6 hours or so ?
Somebody who writes the checks said get this done …NOW !!!
We are getting bad press…
I got mad for nothing… Haha
JIM
I remember hearing an interview with Craig Patrick at the time. He said that he told Jagr that money-wise thar if he stayed the Penguins could make it work. Jagr said he wanted our.
Hey Guys,
Like I always said , “there are two hockey games being played, one on the ice and the more inportant one is the Business side of Hockey and that game is played off it” !
This situation should never have happened.The real issue here is that the Pens ownership group made Letang the priority over Malkin and that was wrong. Take away Crosby and Malkin,(both generational talents,) and Letang would be just another third round draft pick D man with a mediocre NHL career.
Malkin and Crosby and the famed Pittsburgh Power play made Letang. Just look at Malkin’s Trophy cabinet and ask your self….How many other Hockey players can boast of his achievements in the past 17 years? Not many. Maybe 3 or 4 ??
This contract should have been handled 6 months ago and not allowed to come to this .As Coach said,at least agree to get something in return if Malkin did leave.
We are way passed that stage now. What a major screw up on the behalf of the Pen’s ownership. Even if he comes back the damage is done and I don’t believe he is coming back.
As Coach and Rick know, I am no fan of Malkin and if I owned the team he would be playing in Edmonton today and Conner Mc David would be in the Black and Gold….but as a matter of principal I support Geno and I only wish him well. This is a black mark on the Penguins organization.
I just wanted to get that off my chest.
Cheers
Jim
Well said Jim
Hey Rick,
I am one of Geno’s biggest fans and will hate to see him go. However, this is nothing you nor I can do about it, if it happens. Life does go on. The team will have to find a way to win with a greatly diminished Center position, if our fears become realized. As I wrote on another thread here, I am just angry over losing Geno with no return. If you couldn’t workout deals by the trade deadline with any of these players, you deal them. If we could have talked Geno into waiving his NMC and traded him to Fla, maybe we have Lundl like I wanted.
Also, maybe it is all about the Benjamin’s but maybe not. Geno and Sullivan never got along. It is possible that Geno just wants to get away from Sullivan.
It is also very possible that Malkin is angered over the team prioritizing Letang and not him.
Malkin has always had a lot of pride, this could be a pride thing.
The only similarity I see between Malkin and Jagr is that they both should have played their entire careers in the black and gold. Jagr didn’t and as you said barring an 11th hour deal neither will Malkin. That may be where it ends. Malkin didn’t demand a trade like Jagr.
Hey Other Rick,
I’m going to shine a different light on the Jagr situation. Like you, I’d always believed that he went to then-GM Craig Patrick and demanded to be traded, which is the version that was widely circulated. In the process setting Jagr up as the villain.
But a few years ago I heard a conflicting version. According to what I read, Jagr went to Patrick in a non-petulant way and told him he knew the team was financially strapped and suggested Patrick trade him. In effect, offering himself up as the sacrificial lamb.
If that’s the case, a great injustice has been done to No. 68. All the more reason to make a peace and bring him to the ‘Burgh at some point to honor him.
As for Malkin, as we discussed at the gym, I wonder if the Capitals make a play for him. With Nicklas Backstrom out indefinitely (and perhaps permanently) due to hip surgery they desperately need a No. 1 center. They’ve shown a proclivity for signing former Pens…Conor Sheary, Justin Schultz, Carl Hagelin and Daniel Sprong.
Can you imagine the stir a Malkin-Alex Ovechkin combination would create? Arguably, the two greatest Russian players in the history of the NHL…joining forces.
Rick
Hey Rick,
Perhaps Jags did simply offer himself up as a sacrificial lamb, only those parties involved in that discussion know the truth. However, the innocent Jagr version has many holes in it.
* Why did no one on either side quell the rumors of a rift. A sacrificial lamb story would have been a PR boon.
* If the team was not being forced by Jagr to trade him, why did they only settle for the bag of used pucks and broken stick of Kris Beech, Ross Lupaschuk, and Michal Sivek. They could have held out for a better deal?
* Why did/does Jagr continue to snub the Penguins?
* there was also a discussion of how Jagr would demand the pucks to be funneled to him when he was on the ice, clearly an egotistical approach. If this was also untrue, why has no one ever refuted it?
Jagr was the 2nd most Elemental Force to wear a Penguin sweater. Perhaps 5th or 6th in NHL history, certainly top 10. No one can deny that. He is/was a freak of Nature. But I just don’t/can’t see him as a victim.
AS for Geno in a Caps uniform, the thought is too terrible to even contemplate. The only thing worse would be for him to don the black and orange.
Rick
Now that Rakell has signed the numbers point strongly that Geno won’t be back – that said I’m sure Hextall
has other moves up his sleeve to clear cap space if necessary. Getting Rakell for 5mil per year was a win,
win for GMRH. I’m thinking the Pen’s and Hextall know its to risky to give Geno a 4th year and IMO they should
of taken the same stance with Letang. Below is our lines to date:
Crosby, Guentzel, Rust
Rakell, ???????, Zucker
Carter, Kappy, McGinn
Blueger, Zohorna, O’Conner
Right now it’s not a great blend and the need for toughness continues to rear its ugly head.
!) I’m in agreement with Phil – I do think the Pen’s will eventually trade Kapanen.
2) Anderson & Lemieux would both be solid additions. (my guess is Sully will fight this for all he’s worth).
3) We still need a front presence on the backline.
4) Zucker would probably drop to the 3rd line and hopefully we can plug in a player like Anderson on
the 2nd line – while I’m guessing McGinn drops down to the 4th line.
I look forward to everyone’s feedback. GO PENS
Hey Mike,
I’m assuming when you say Anderson, you’re referring to Josh Anderson up in Montreal. I’d dearly love to get him, too, but unfortunately don’t think we have anyone who would remotely interest the Canadiens. Unless we trade Kris Letang, which ain’t happening due to a No Movement Clause in his new contract.
I really liked your idea about pursuing Arizona RFA forward Lawson Crouse, who had a very reasonable cap hit of $1.533 million.
Anyway…here’s where the fun begins… 🙂
Rick
Rick
Well Malkin just signed a 4yr deal for 24.4 million. P.O Joseph also signed 2year one-way contract
for 825K per year. We now have slightly over 4 million to fill out the rest of the team.
Now Hextall is burdened with the challenge of dumping salaries and still finding away to
address the endless number of needs that exist within this team. “Good luck”
1) I would guess the signing of Joseph signals the end for Marcus Pettersson as a Penguin
2) They’ll probably move Zucker but then you’re faced with finding another top 6 forward. Also, to
move Zucker it will probably include taking back salary. Not sure how much can be gained
with that situation??
3) I would have to believe E-Rod days as a Penguin are over as well. He’ll probably get 2.2 to 2.5
on the open market. To be honest I won’t miss him.
4) I don’t see anyway possible for this team to make the playoffs in 2022-23. To many weaknesses
and not enough resources to address them.