Dreger: Malkin will test the market

[KareemTrustfund]

The Pens' first power play unit has been really weird for years tbh. They aren't statistically bad but they often look totally incompetent, especially on zone entries. They basically get by on the raw talent of Malkin, Letang, and Crosby. Without Malkin, Sullivan would be forced to try alternate configurations that might actually improve the power play.

That's not to say Geno wouldn't be missed. But the Pens' power play has never been as deadly effective as it feels like it should be, even with Malkin.

It was so bad before Malkin came back last year though so eh, not sure about that.

 

[Cape]

High risk/high reward situation.

I think whatever team signs him, signs him expecting he won't play full season, but will play in playoffs.

Most teams who should be in the mix for him are playoff teams - so whether he plays ~80 games or ~60-65 games, they should still make playoffs. And if he's there for playoffs, big plus.

I think the biggest risk outside of health is simply his ability/production level. He hasn't been elite any of the past 4 seasons. Compare that to Crosby/Ovechkin - and both have been elite at least 3 of the past 4 years, and the 4th one was big injuries. Malkin also hasn't done well in playoffs in 4 years.

But - new team/new circumstances - high risk/high reward. I think he could still do great with a new mix of linemates in a #1C role.

Malkin is what 13:th in point per game last 5 seasons and 8:th in p/60. Where do you get the he is not elite. He wasn’t good this season and he misses time. Otherwise he is still elite. Underrated as hel.

 

[Pavelski2112]

Malkin is 6′ 3″, which is the lowest height allowed on the new san jose sharks. So, he'll get a 5 year offer from us at 8M per (and get bought out in 2 years)

The 5 games next year in which Karlsson and Malkin are both healthy, the Sharks will actually look like an NHL team again

 

[Kcb12345]

Is Burns at 50% to Dallas an actual rumor? I've seen a few people posting about it but haven't actually seen any sources.

Depending on what Robertson and Oettinger get they might be able to squeeze that all in if Khudobin is moved

They'd need to move Khudobin & Faksa I believe if they wanted Malkin too, It would be a pricey assets-wise to go after both guys. But no there's no actual rumor for Burns yet, just that he'd accept a trade to Dallas if it came to it, and that Dallas wouldn't take on his full cap hit meaning either retention or a 3rd team being involved. Dallas could take it i think with only 25%, but id like to see 50% tbh. Malkin is a long shot tho if they get Burns, id imagine Jim Nill will go the Jim Nill way and sign 2 depth older forwards instead of a top 6 guy, especially one that expensive if they're going big on the RHD they get.

Sounds like they're planning bridge deals for Oettinger and Robertson. Nill mentioned between $3-5m for Oettinger and $6-7m for Robertson.

 

[fasterthanlight]

The 5 games next year in which Karlsson and Malkin are both healthy, the Sharks will actually look like an NHL team again

Should be just enough for us to squeeze out of a top 10 pick (we would have traded down anyway)

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Don't think his current speed fits the avs. But we are one of the only teams that can afford to have him miss 30% of the season and still be high up in the standings and just need him to produce in the playoffs.

 

[Riptide]

Malkin is what 13:th in point per game last 5 seasons and 8:th in p/60. Where do you get the he is not elite. He wasn’t good this season and he misses time. Otherwise he is still elite. Underrated as hel.

This is where there's a bit of a dichotomy between his numbers/production and his impact on the ice. Malkin is so skilled that when he wants to, he can really put up the numbers and take over the game. And even when it appears that he's dogging it, he will still put up numbers. The reality is that we haven't been seeing that ability to take over a game on a consistent basis for a couple seasons now. The production is still there, but he's not taking over the games regularly. When you start to add in his missing games and his age, and it's no wonder that there's some question marks and disputes over his contract/offer.

Will the Penguins miss him on the ice? Absolutely. Even if they get Kadri or Trocheck or Strome to take over the 2c spot... there's going to be a gap there. However on the plus side is that PIT will likely get the new guy for 80/100% of the season vs Malkin's historic 50/60% - although if Malkin moves on, we all know he's going to play 80+ games as a FU to the pens.

 

[FrankSidebottom]

Some very bad takes here like he hasn’t been good for a while … dude is literally PPG this year and was top-10 in Hart voting just 2 years ago. Yep, he’s definitely done

 

[Riptide]

Some very bad takes here like he hasn’t been good for a while … dude is literally PPG this year and was top-10 in Hart voting just 2 years ago. Yep, he’s definitely done

I think part of the issue is that the expectations for Malkin are extremely high. PPG is the base of those expectations. So the mere fact that he's hitting them doesn't mean a ton. Skilled guys like him on PP1 getting the TOI he gets will produce.

 

[Russian Factor]

A few things:

(1) Letang didn't get double the term he should have, but I can see it being 2 years too long. So by that standard (1.5 times appropriate contract length) Geno should be offered a 3 year contract, and he was. Not initially of course, just like Letang wasn't offered 6 years initially. So, same standards remain in place for both.
(2) I can just as easily accuse those saying this is disrespecting a franchise legend as manufacturing that narrative. We don't know how the negotiations actually occurred.
(3) Malkin may well want to leave, maybe he was on the fence about it but the offers pushed him over. But, it's just as fair to state he wanted to leave as it is to state that he was disrespected. Neither have any basis in observed events, just speculation.

And finally, the whole calling people cowards who have a perception which is different than yours reads very much like the emotional response of a 6 year old who just had a toy he hasn't touched in months taken from him. You didn't know how much you loved it until it was taken away. Take a f***in breathe my dude.

1) The underlying logic of Letangs contract is that sacrifices in contract length on an aging player are palatable because the next 2 years (debatably the next 3 years) take precedent because of our competition window. So why exactly is the 4th year for Malkin relevant? Malkin shouldn't get an extra year than he should when Letang gets, by your own admission, two more years than he should have? That is absolutely not the same standard being applied. In fact Letang as a subpar player 5 years from now is much more of a problem than a subpar Malkin only 3 years from now.

2) No shit we don't know the exact step by step minutiae of the negotiations. We can only draw conclusions from the evidence at our disposal, as is always the case with posting on here. I guess we can expect you to stop posting on here because you don't have a camera giving you a live feed of all the league offices

3)It is not at all as fair to say that because if the actions of the GM precede and are the reason he then decided to leave, it's far more reasonable to say the GM is why he left. This is very simple cause and effect my friend.

Your post is peevish, pedantic, and emotional so for you to make that accusation is very funny. I have no clue how you draw the conclusion from my post or even could possibly know that I'm just making a fuss all of the sudden after the fact. Its actually hilarious because my defining trait as a Penguins fan is that I have always argued Malkin isn't valued appropriately. And what do you know thats what I'm arguing here as well. Very strange response

 

[FrankSidebottom]

I think part of the issue is that the expectations for Malkin are extremely high. PPG is the base of those expectations. So the mere fact that he's hitting them doesn't mean a ton. Skilled guys like him on PP1 getting the TOI he gets will produce.

Age aside, I think a decent comparable for Malkin today is Scheifele. Still 1C with great offensive numbers, but deficient defensive efforts. And Scheifele is widely considered a good/great contact

 

[Riptide]

Age aside, I think a decent comparable for Malkin today is Scheifele. Still 1C with great offensive numbers, but deficient defensive efforts. And Scheifele is widely considered a good/great contact

Yes but Scheifele isn't 36 with a long history of missing significant chunks of every season. Malkin has played 70+ games once in the last 10 seasons. 65+ games three times in that span. And that was in his late 20s, early 30s. He'll be 36 now. Don't get me wrong - I'd offer him a contract that probably isn't smart... and I'd be doing so solely due to his name/legacy vs my exepctations of his on ice contributions.

 

[ss53mech]

1) The underlying logic of Letangs contract is that sacrifices in contract length on an aging player are palatable because the next 2 years (debatably the next 3 years) take precedent because of our competition window. So why exactly is the 4th year for Malkin relevant? Malkin shouldn't get an extra year than he should when Letang gets, by your own admission, two more years than he should have? That is absolutely not the same standard being applied. In fact Letang as a subpar player 5 years from now is much more of a problem than a subpar Malkin only 3 years from now.

2) No shit we don't know the exact step by step minutiae of the negotiations. We can only draw conclusions from the evidence at our disposal, as is always the case with posting on here. I guess we can expect you to stop posting on here because you don't have a camera giving you a live feed of all the league offices

3)It is not at all as fair to say that because if the actions of the GM precede and are the reason he then decided to leave, it's far more reasonable to say the GM is why he left. This is very simple cause and effect my friend.

Your post is peevish, pedantic, and emotional so for you to make that accusation is very funny. I have no clue how you draw the conclusion from my post or even could possibly know that I'm just making a fuss all of the sudden after the fact. Its actually hilarious because my defining trait as a Penguins fan is that I have always argued Malkin isn't valued appropriately. And what do you know thats what I'm arguing here as well. Very strange response

1) Malkin shouldn't get the extra year(s) because he is already, right now, in the physical downfall that MIGHT be a concern for Letang later in his contract. The same standard was applied by offering him more than would otherwise be logical considering his recent performance and health.

2)Nah, I'll keep posting. I enjoy the tantrums of some folks. Especially when it's because they get faced with opposing viewpoints.

3)It's totally fair to say, because if the GM went to him with a reasonable offer and Geno's camp countered with 9 mil x 5 years I and many others would have put him on the back burner to see if his demands softened. Which is totally a possible scenario. We just don't know. I'm not hating on Geno or the org and still hope they can come to terms.

The last one doesn't rate a response as it not grounded in reality or anything that I actually said. Good day.

 

[AcerComputer]

You have to expect Malkin gets min 4 years x $9M+?

 

[kaddy]

6x4 years should have been enough if wanted to stay.

He has a lot of similar qualities as an aging Jagr. Guy a monster with the puck on the boards.

The numbers are low because of his health. Can't skate like he did back in the day.

 

[bobholly39]

Malkin is what 13:th in point per game last 5 seasons and 8:th in p/60. Where do you get the he is not elite. He wasn’t good this season and he misses time. Otherwise he is still elite. Underrated as hel.

He was 40th in ppg this year
He was 51st in ppg last year
He was 6th in ppg 2 years ago
He was 24th in ppg 3 years ago (also -25, 7th worst in league)

He's getting older and had 3 poor seasons out of the past 4. I don't deny his overall ability - but because of age and because of his string of not so good seasons, it's certainly a high risk/high reward situation.

To your point - he was great 5 years ago. 3rd in ppg. But 5 years ago is a long time ago for a player his age...

 

[Cape]

He was 40th in ppg this year
He was 51st in ppg last year
He was 6th in ppg 2 years ago
He was 24th in ppg 3 years ago (also -25, 7th worst in league)

He's getting older and had 3 poor seasons out of the past 4. I don't deny his overall ability - but because of age and because of his string of not so good seasons, it's certainly a high risk/high reward situation.

To your point - he was great 5 years ago. 3rd in ppg. But 5 years ago is a long time ago for a player his age...

Yeah. This year playing after massive knee operation and last year playing half the season with the injury.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Yeah. This year playing after massive knee operation and last year playing half the season with the injury.

That’s a growing theme though he is always hurt and missing games. 3 times in 10 season did he play at least 65 games and averages 55 games a year in that span

 

[crazy8888]

Only knock on Malkin is his health. He is still an elite player and will be for some time. Any team that signs him should be confident he will perform up to the contract or exceed it. So long as he is healthy enough to play.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDo]

He was 40th in ppg this year
He was 51st in ppg last year
He was 6th in ppg 2 years ago
He was 24th in ppg 3 years ago (also -25, 7th worst in league)

He's getting older and had 3 poor seasons out of the past 4. I don't deny his overall ability - but because of age and because of his string of not so good seasons, it's certainly a high risk/high reward situation.

To your point - he was great 5 years ago. 3rd in ppg. But 5 years ago is a long time ago for a player his age...

The worst +- came in the year that Jack Johnson was the D he spent most time with at 5v5.

 

[NoMessi]

Yikes, what a truly embarrassing post.

For anyone curious, this steaming take is complete nonsense. Take a look at the Pens board to see what actual fans (not whoever this guy deems to be "fans") are saying. The debate is raging there and there is palpable anger at letting things get to this point with a franchise legend who, seemingly, wants to stick around until the very end.

Personally, Geno is my favorite post-lockout Penguin. The criticisms of him I've seen over the last 15 years range from "he needs to control his temper and stop taking bad penalties" or lamenting his injury record. Far more common is the refrain "he needs to be given better wingers" and that Geno has been shortchanged with lineup decisions (since the departure of Neal) and has to make do with ill fitting leftover parts of the top-6 on his line. All of which are defenses of the player. At no point has anyone EVER talked about trading him for "a bag of pucks" in any serious discussion. Certainly not "plenty of fans".

What a load of complete nonsense.

Which stone have you been hiding under. Take a look at Penguins facebook page, which is a bigger platform than HFboards.

For example. Look at what people are saying and liking on here. Its been like this for a good number of years.

This is the last post I could find on FB which was relevant to Malkin. There is much more.

What is embarrassing is you calling out people without any proof to back it up with.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Always thought he'd look good in a Canadiens sweater

The Summer of Kent Hughes Continues, 5 years 7 per

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Not really in favor of the Caps signing him. We have enough injury concerns as it is with Backstrom out indefinitely and Wilson out for 5-6 months.

Caps need to get younger and healthier, Malkin is literally the opposite of that. He’s not the player he used to be either, he doesn’t take over games like he used to.

 

[jmelm]

You have to expect Malkin gets min 4 years x $9M+?

Lol. Suuuuurrrre. From which team exactly?

 

[Petes2424]

There’s always been this separate deal with Malkin in Pittsburgh. You’ve never felt he had the blind loyalty guys like Sakic, Yzerman, Lemieux, Crosby, etc, have had with their teams. Maybe it’s the second-fiddle pride thing. We seen it with Fedorov, Forsberg, Jagr and others. As if they felt they didn’t get the credit they deserved.

Think it’s always been the feeling he may bolt for the last couple of years in the NHL, or do the Datsyuk thing with the KHL.

It really comes down to what teams would he play for, who have a legit chance to win, and need a 2C??? The latter not as important as some may think. He can play the wing just fine. Money is always important but when you’ve made as much as Malkin, it’s likely not at the top of his list.

Flyers fans thinking it’s them, just for the sharp knife in the Pens back? Probably not. We’re much more likely to see Giroux sign in Pittsburgh with a much sharper dagger in the back, curtesy of Hextall.

Narrowing it down?

Rangers
Caps
Leafs
Florida
Tampa
Calgary
Avs
Bruins
Kings
Flyers
Wings
Devils
Islanders

Let’s assume he wants to stay East and in the States. Doubt he hides out west.

Rangers
Florida
Tampa
Caps
Bruins
Devils
Flyers
Wings
Islanders

Where he will play the more important role TO WIN?

Caps
Rangers
Bruins

If the Caps miss out on Kadri, they likely move to the top of the list. Think it really comes down to the Caps and Rangers in this regard, as Boston looks to have other plans.

If it’s all about money, which it’s likely not, then he’ll sign with the ….
Flyers, Devils or Detroit…. Likely Detroit… If they’re offering a deal, it’s probably the most.

Role and Money but likely never wins a thing?

The Islanders and Devils. Lou likes his vets and just when you think he’s playing golf, he nails one down… Devils? He’d be a great influence on their young forwards. He’d likely play wing but would also see Hughes on his wing at times too. Some will say Detroit falls here too. One old friend I spoke to is adamant that… if it’s not the Rangers or Caps, it’s Detroit. I assumed he meant only if Detroit doesn’t sign Copp or Kadri?? Told it won’t matter. Detroit wants both a forward and a Dman to help bring influence to their young players, and will pay big money for a 1 or 2 year deal for Malkin, with a promise to do right by the player, moving him to a contender at the deadline, IF he chooses.. so that’s interesting but I’m not buying it.
Ultimately, after all the background noise, this likely comes down to the Rangers or the Caps. … maybe I’m wrong but we shall see.

If he just wants just be a passenger on a Cup Ride?
Avs, Panthers or Tampa….. whichever one doesn’t sign Corey Perry .. probably the Panthers.

Media Frenzy??

Rangers
Leafs (had to get them somewhere in this)

Rangers Obviously!!

Money AND very important role? Has to be the Devils….

Ultimately, in this order…

Caps
Rangers
Devils
Wings
Panthers

Gun to the head?

Caps or Rangers

Finger on the trigger?

Washington Capitols