For the better part of a year, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin has made it abundantly clear that he wants to return for another campaign alongside Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang in 2026-27. And for the better part of a year, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas has been entirely noncommittal to having the living legend back in the fold.
The situation is remarkably complex and features more moving parts than your average Game of Thrones episode. An old soldier trying to hang on and prove that he still has what it takes. A young upstart leader who is on the fence about committing to the old guard that the greying soldier represents. Fans looming at the gates, waiting to boo or cheer regardless of which direction this situation goes. Someone get George R. R. Martin on the phone; we have something we want to run by him.
Ancient pop culture references aside, Malkin's future in Pittsburgh is murky. When asked about the situation in a recent mailbag post for The Athletic, Josh Yohe had this to say about where things stand between the forward and Dubas.
"I’m not suggesting he doesn’t respect Malkin, nor do I think he hates the idea of Malkin returning next season. However, my understanding is that Dubas would prefer to move on to younger players. I don’t think he took the Penguins job in 2023 because he was going to guide a team led by Crosby and Malkin to a championship. He took the job because he was intrigued by the idea of building the Penguins in his own vision."
Few beat writers are as plugged in with the teams they cover as Yohe, so it's worth noting his thoughts here. Since last summer, reports have indicated that Dubas would prefer to move on without Malkin on the team. Not even a 61-point campaign where "Geno" averaged more than a point per game has seemed to change the general manager's mind. He's saying the right things in public because he sharpened his media sense in Toronto, but Dubas seems dead set on making changes in the coming months.
Which could create an interesting opportunity for the New York Rangers, should Malkin actually make it to market. After all, he's said he'd be willing to play for another team if the Penguins weren't going to have him back.
Why Evgeni Malkin could make sense for the New York Rangers
It starts behind the bench, where Malkin played for head coach Mike Sullivan through the majority of his professional career in Pittsburgh. If the soon-to-be 40-year-old is going to leave the Penguins, there would be a built-in comfort level in New York that no other franchise could offer. There would be a period where the players would need to familiarize, but that would be the case anywhere.
There probably isn't another coach on Earth who knows how and when to press Malkin's buttons, even if Sullivan's voice did eventually grow stale in Pittsburgh. Perhaps more so than any skater on the current roster, it will be the bench boss who will be charged with changing the Rangers' shaky culture. He wants more tenacity, and Malkin has that kind of competitive fire in spades.
He also showed that he could still be an effective forward despite his lack of footspeed and advancing age. Malkin was badly exposed in the playoffs--so much so that it likely sealed his fate in Pittsburgh--but the Rangers are a long shot to make the postseason in 2026-27. It isn't impossible, but it would require roughly a 21-point improvement over their finish this year.
Likely Vincent Trocheck trade makes Malkin the Ranger seem possible
Making the playoffs would require a big step forward that doesn't seem realistic to expect out of New York as constructed. Malkin provides several interesting options for the Rangers, regardless of how their season goes, though. Odds seem good that general manager Chris Drury will look to trade Vincent Trocheck this summer, which would free up a top-six center role in the Big Apple.
Malkin's success this season with the Penguins was in large part due to his move to the wing, but it isn't like he forgot how to play up the middle over the last year. He'd provide a solid, presumably affordable stopgap as the Rangers move pieces around in the coming months. All while providing the kind of leadership that Sullivan likely covets.
If the Rangers make the playoffs, great! You can come back to this column and laugh at yours truly for being so wrong. And Drury will look like a shrewd GM for snagging a franchise icon away from the rival Penguins. If New York falls down the standings again, it could look to work with Malkin to facilitate a trade to allow him to chase one more Stanley Cup before hanging up the skates, bringing in at least one or two mid-level future assets. Assuming Drury nails the Trocheck deal, that's two aging veterans moved out for possible futures.
It seems like a win-win for both Malkin and the Rangers, and it will be incredibly interesting to see how this saga plays out as spring turns to summer.
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