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OP-ED: A Case for Keeping Evgeni Malkin
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- OP-ED: A Case for Keeping Evgeni Malkin
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The decision to re-sign Evgeni Malkin is not an easy one. At some point the Penguins will have to move on from the "Big Three" and start looking towards to future with a new core of young, talented players. However, now is not that time. While there are valid arguments on both sides, the numbers suggest Malkin should get another season with the Penguins.
The first number that stands out is that Malkin averaged the same points per game, 1.09, as teammate Sidney Crosby . Malkin recorded 61 points (19G, 42A) in 56 games played, while Crosby recorded 74 points (29G, 45A) in 68 games played. That ranked Malkin and Crosby in a five-way tie for the 23rd most productive player in the NHL this season along with Connor Bedard , Jake Guentzel , and Cole Caufield ; not bad company to keep.
In looking at that list, Malkin made the lowest salary of the group, excluding Bedard who was in the last season of his rookie deal and will get a hefty raise this summer:
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Malkin — $6.1M
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Crosby — $8.7M
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Bedard — $950K
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Guentzel — $9.0M
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Caufield — $7.85M
If you dig further into the numbers in the chart below and look at all players who recorded 60 or 61 total points, Malkin still stands out as the points per game leader for players recording 60 or 61 total points this season. Additionally, Malkin played the least number of games of any player in the NHL recording 60 or more points.
Looking at some of the names on the list above, Ivan Barbashev had 61 points in 82 games and is the top line left wing for a very good Vegas team. Youngster Beckett Sennecke notched 60 points as the second-line right wing for a talented, offensive-minded Anaheim team. Barbashev is 30 and made $5M this season. Sennecke is only 20 and still on his rookie deal that pays him $942,500 per season. Both Barbashev and Sennecke played in all 82 games for their respective teams in a top-six role, 26 more games than Malkin, but still finished with one less point than Malkin.
Yes, Malkin will turn 40 on July 31, but consider that there were 20 players aged 37 or older in the league this season. Only Crosby and Alex Ovechkin had more points than Malkin. Further, consider that Ovechkin recorded 64 points (32G, 32A), just three more than Malkin, but played in all 82 games. Ovechkin was also a -5 for the season. Malkin was a +13.
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Some argue that the Penguins can replace Malkin with a big-name free agent this offseason who could easily replace his 60-70 points. Well, in looking at the top free agents available, it is slim pickings. The most sought-after free agent will be Buffalo right wing Alex Tuch . He is 30 and recorded 66 points (33G, 33A) in 79 games this season and made $4.75M. He will get a big raise in the neighborhood of $10M per season for at least five seasons, whether that be for Buffalo or some other team.
The next "big" name forward who is an unrestricted free agent is Columbus center Charlie Coyle . He is 34 and recorded 58 points (20G, 38A) in 82 games this season and made $5.2M. He will be due a modest raise as well, but probably not more than a three-year deal. That begs the question: would the Penguins rather have Malkin for one season at around $5 million or someone like Coyle for three seasons at around $6 million per season?
Despite all the statistical evidence above that would suggest bringing back Malkin, there is also a business aspect. Most Penguins fans love Malkin. They love the lore of the "Big Three." Malkin will put fans in the seats. With respect to Coyle, he would not. Undoubtedly, Penguins fans would love to continue to follow Malkin's career, as he needs just 31 games to reach 1,300. Further, with 61 points next season he can catapult himself from 23rd place on the all-time points list to 17th, passing Dale Hawerchuk, Doug Gilmore, Adam Oates, Bryan Trottier, Teemu Selanne, and Stan Mikita.
Certainly, new ownership would like to see PPG Paints Arena filled with fans hoping to get one last glimpse of Malkin, as he can seemingly reach some milestone in every home stand. Conversely, imagine Malkin reaching his 1,300th game played in a Detroit Red Wings or Dallas Stars jersey. Do you think new ownership wants to draw the ire of a large faction of Penguins fans seeing Malkin reach the aforementioned milestones in another team's uniform? Probably not the best way to start their ownership tenure.
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Lastly, there is the locker room factor. You can be certain that the veterans like Crosby, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, and Erik Karlsson want Malkin back, as evidenced by PHN's article by Shelly Anderson: Penguins Rally Around Unsigned Malkin: 'I Love Geno' .
Of course, fellow countryman Egor Chinakhov would like Malkin back too, as the two developed great chemistry. While GM Kyle Dubas has to do what he thinks is best for the long-term future of the team, he certainly has to be considering what effect not bringing Malkin back would have on locker room morale.
Again, whether to bring Malkin back is certainly a hard decision. However, considering his more than a point-per-game production last season, the likely affordable cost to bring him back, and the lack of viable free agents available that could even match Malkin's output, everything seems to point towards bringing Malkin back for one more season. While Malkin's future with the Penguins is uncertain, we can say with certainty that Penguins fans have been very fortunate to have Malkin in a Penguins uniform for the past two decades.
The post OP-ED: A Case for Keeping Evgeni Malkin appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now .
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