Definitely not happening but with Rutherfords comments on Malkin image we pulled the trigger
I'd tune into a line of Tkachuk-Malkin-Batherson next year lol
He chooses his own destination because he has a full NMC.
The only reason I could see the Penguins dealing him is if Malkin himself is the one in the driver's seat. Otherwise, it makes no sense to come to him and ask him to waive, because that's not something that can be taken back, and with his NMC he's not going to give them a big list of teams.
At best, they'll get a return like we got for Karlsson. Teams will not give up their Heiskanen's or even their Timo Meier's. They'll give the Pens 2-3 B+ assets, and 2-3 B/C assets. The 2-3 teams on his list (if it is that many) aren't going to bid up the price, and if the Pens ask him to waive, then they create a situation where they can't really go back on that and say "Actually Evgeni, we're friends again, nvm".
I think there is something to be said for rebuilding 2 years too early instead of 2 years too late.
The Blackhawks are probably an example of a team that rebuilt 2 years too late. Although, in a realistic sense, I can't blame them for not selling off everybody except for Kane/Toews/Panarin because it would be pretty difficult to go to an ownership group expecting cups and say "I project our secondary guys to all fall off in a year or two, I know we just won the cup but let's rebuild with an aim to compete again 3 years from now".
I think that's the spot the Penguins are in right now. Crosby still has loads of good hockey left in him, so long as he is willing to play through his contract when his salary drops to 3M. If not for Malkin's NMC, I would trade everybody but Crosby and Matt Murray with the idea that the team is probably going to be bad for 1-2 years, but that's better than being mediocre for 1-2 years and being bad anyways at the end of it because the core (minus Crosby, Guentzel, and Murray) either drop off or leave in free agency.
The Pens could build up a huge amount of picks/prospects, finish bottom 10 1-2 years in a row and hope for some lottery luck, and then use their cap space to attract free agents based on the fact that they have money to spend, and Crosby being on the team makes them a desirable destination. Then in 1-2 years, they take all those picks they got for depreciating players like Letang and Kessel, and they patiently wait for opportunities to come up like the one they took advantage of when they acquired a much younger Kessel, or the one STL took advantage of to get ROR this past summer. So it's not like they'd have to wait 5 years for those draft picks to become players.
The only reason they should deal Malkin is if they are going to do what I outlined in the paragraph above. If they miss the playoffs for 1-2 years in a short rebuild, he might not re-sign. He's also going to be 36 when his contract runs out, and will likely still be able to command big money/term depending on what he prioritizes. They aren't getting a good return regardless if they deal Malkin with a NMC, but they'll get more dealing him now than they would be either losing him to nothing in free agency after a short re-tool, or dealing him with 1 year left on his contract.