Saturday, March 01, 2025, 3:39PM |  32°
MENU
Advertisement
Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin battles for loose puck against the Islanders in Game 3 of the first-round playoff series against the Islanders, Sunday, April 14, 2019, at PPG Paints Arena.
1
MORE

Paul Zeise: Penguins should either go big or go home this offseason

Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Paul Zeise: Penguins should either go big or go home this offseason

The Penguins are facing their most important offseason in a long time. The team is coming off a first-round flameout and the clock is ticking on its aging stars. There are some whispers that they are going to make some big changes this offseason and maybe even trade one or two of their big names.

The latest trial balloon to be floated out there seems to be the idea that they should/will trade Evgeni Malkin. This isn’t just “Joe from Blawnox” talk-show banter, either; those who cover the team have also confirmed it is something that is, at the very least, being contemplated.

Forget for a moment that Malkin has a full no-trade clause which means he would have to approve any deal and that would probably hurt his value on the open market. I’m sure he’d give the Penguins a list of teams he’d be interested in moving to, and I’d be shocked if there were more than four or five teams on it. It becomes a buyer’s market at that point, and that means the Penguins would likely have to take less in the deal than they should to make it work. 

Advertisement

But let’s go with the idea of trading Malkin. Let’s pretend the Penguins find the right deal and Malkin agrees to it and the Penguins pull the trigger and trade him for whatever the market price is.  

Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Phil Kessel jersey hangs in the locker room Thursday, April 18, 2019, at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Pa.
Jason Mackey
Analysis: What to make of a crazy Penguins offseason thus far

If that were to happen, the Penguins’ next moves should be to trade Phil Kessel, Kris Letang, Patric Hornqvist and then pray some general manager somewhere is dumb enough to take Jack Johnson and his contract off their hands, too. 

That — essentially tearing it down and remaking the team —  is the only way a trade of Malkin would make sense. This is not something the Penguins should do if they aren’t going to follow through and finish the job. Malkin is one of the cornerstone players, one of the players that defines this era and one of the players that has enabled the Penguins to play the way they have for as long as they have.

If you are going to move on from a player like that, then it is time to just remake the roster and do things differently. If the Penguins’ front office wants change, then actually change. Don’t do it halfway and don’t do it in a way that leaves a splintered team. Don’t put half of a roster of guys who still think they can win a Stanley Cup with another half of rebuilding parts.

Advertisement

Either rebuild or reload and go for it 2019-20. That’s the approach the Penguins need to take, and I am not sure which way is right — that’s for the front office to figure out — but I do know the wrong way would be to trade one of your two biggest stars and then act like you are still trying to win the Stanley Cup.

A trade of Kessel, by the way, is different from a trade of Malkin. Kessel feels like a player who needs to move on. He had a great run here, but he has probably hit his expiration date. And while he has a skill that is important — he can score goals — a trade of him wouldn’t change the DNA of the team.

The Penguins could find another wing or two to score goals; they can’t find a center capable of doing the things that Malkin does. Yes, he is frustrating at times and his propensity for making mistakes, turning the puck over and taking idiotic penalties were a part of the Penguins’ struggles this year.

But he is still one of the absolute best players in the NHL. He probably isn’t in the top five any more, but he is still somewhere in the top 10 and those players are not easy to come by. If the Penguins trade him they are not going to get anyone close to him in return. 

Penguins center Evgeni Malkin takes the puck away from Islanders right wing Tom Kuhnhackl in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series April 10, 2019.
Joe Starkey
Joe Starkey: Penguins at a crossroads with Evgeni Malkin

I would say the same thing about Letang. He is one of the best defensemen in the league. Letang can be frustrating at times, but he is so unique in his skill set and so valuable that the Penguins wouldn’t be able to trade him and get close to equal value in return.

That’s why the Penguins’ front office needs to think long and hard about their approach this offseason. They have a team that obviously needs some work in order to get back to contention for the Stanley Cup. They need to add some players and perhaps even change their style a little bit to match their diminished speed.

They could do that and take another run, but they won’t be able to make another run if they trade Malkin. And that’s why if they do trade Malkin, they need to blow it up and essentially start the rebuilding process now. The Penguins, built around an aging Sidney Crosby, could recover quickly and maybe contend in a year or two, but the only way that can happen is if they remake themselves.  

First Published: April 30, 2019, 6:41 p.m.

RELATED
Penguins center Evgeni Malkin argues with official Kevin Pollock in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series against the Islanders on Wednesday, April 10, 2019.
Matt Vensel
These Penguins have something to prove in IIHF world championship
The Penguins' Thomas Di Pauli plays in a scrimmage at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry in this Sept 17, 2018 file photo.
Jason Mackey
Penguins re-sign forward prospect Thomas Di Pauli
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) reacts near teammate linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) after sacking Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, in Baltimore.
1
sports
Steelers position analysis: T.J. Watt open to changing his role, but the Steelers have to help him
Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, as President Donald Trump, center, listens in the Oval Office at the White House, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Washington.
2
news
VP Vance attacks last year's Pa. visit by Zelenskyy in contentious White House meeting
Law enforcement respond to the scene of a shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York, Pa. on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025.
3
news
UPMC hospital shooting puts focus on violence health care workers see 'at an increased rate'
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) against West Virginia in the first half during an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Tucson, Ariz.
4
sports
Steelers NFL draft big board: Best fits at wide receiver
Co-owners Mary Mancini Hartner and her son, Nick, stand  in front of the original mixer at Mancini’s Bakery in Stowe.
5
life
Iconic Eats: Stowe-based Mancini’s Bakery has been feeding the area since 1926
Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin battles for loose puck against the Islanders in Game 3 of the first-round playoff series against the Islanders, Sunday, April 14, 2019, at PPG Paints Arena.  (Peter Diana/Post-Gazette)
Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
Advertisement
LATEST sports
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story