Penguins A to Z: What are fair expectations for Evgeni Malkin?
With the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2023-24 season coming to an end without any postseason action, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 52 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until next season — with the organization, from fourth-line center Noel Acciari to reserve winger Radim Zohorna.
This series is scheduled to be published every weekday leading into the second day of the NHL Draft on June 29.
(Note: All contract information courtesy of Cap Friendly.)
Evgeni Malkin
Position: Center
Shoot: Left
Age: 37
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 195 pounds
2023-24 NHL statistics: 82 games, 67 points (27 goals, 40 assists), 18:35 of average ice time per game
Contract: In the second year of a four-year contract with a salary cap hit of $6.1 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2026.
(Note: This contract contains a no-movement clause.)
Acquired: First-round draft pick (No. 2 overall), June 26, 2004
This season: In mid-February, things were starting to look pretty dire for the Penguins as it pertained to their playoff hopes.
And that picture didn’t get any better when Evgeni Malkin missed a handful of practices for what were termed as “maintenance days.”
When Malkin returned to practice in a full capacity Feb. 13, he professed to being hale and hearty.
“Everything is good,” Malkin said. “Nothing hurts. Don’t worry.”
Ultimately, Malkin appeared in all 82 games for the second consecutive season and the fourth time in his career.
Certainly, a remarkable accomplishment at this stage of his career. At the same time, Malkin looked every bit like a player who was exactly where he is in his career.
Approaching the end.
Things got off to a fast start for Malkin in 2023-24 as he worked with a new linemate in Reilly Smith. In the first 14 games of the season, Malkin posted 17 points (eight goals, nine assists).
Power play goal for Pittsburgh!
Scored by Evgeni Malkin with 08:58 remaining in the 3rd period.
Assisted by Reilly Smith and Rickard Rakell.
San Jose: 2
Pittsburgh: 9#PITvsSJS #SJSharks #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/oxTkPQAg1S— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 5, 2023
Malkin and Smith just never maintained the same level of production as linemates. Individually, Malkin generated only 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) over the next 49 games (and was blanked in 23 of those contests). Amplifying those doldrums were blunders such as the own-goal he and defenseman Kris Letang collaborated up during a 5-2 road loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Jan. 22.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) May 30, 2024
The malfunctions of the power play were a major impediment for the Penguins’ overall success as well as Malkin’s overall offensive figures. At one point, Malkin was moved to the second unit but that alteration did little to spur much traction. In total, Malkin was limited to 18 power-play points (six goals, 12 assists), a considerable drop from the 36 man-advantage points (11 goals, 25 assists) he registered during the previous season.
One area where Malkin managed to maintain was his propensity for penalties as he led the team with 70 penalty minutes, the sixth time he has led the Penguins in that area (a franchise record).
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) June 3, 2024
Things picked up for Malkin a bit in the final weeks of the season once he was teamed on a line with forward Michael Bunting, acquired just prior to the trade deadline. In his last 19 games, Malkin generated 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists).
Pittsburgh goal!
Scored by Evgeni Malkin with 03:03 remaining in the 2nd period.
Assisted by Michael Bunting.
Pittsburgh: 4
Tampa Bay: 1#TBLvsPIT #LetsGoPens #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/duzg75zRqr— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 6, 2024
The future: Given the parameters of Malkin’s contract, not much is going to change for him individually. He’ll likely still be the team’s second-line center and stationed on the top power-play unit going into 2024-25.
What may change for him externally is what can fairly be expected of him in his late 30s.
Malkin, who turns 38 on July 31, just isn’t the same player he was at the height of his powers when he was an MVP during the early 2010s. That’s not necessarily criticism as it’s just a simple reality.
On the surface, his level of production is perfectly adequate for most second-line centers in the NHL. But for a player who has been the NHL’s leading scorer on multiple occasions — admittedly, a long time ago — those figures seem mundane, especially considering he hasn’t missed a game over the past two seasons.
Add in the multiple faux pas and penalties he is prone to, and it’s fair to wonder what are fair expectations for him as he approaches the end of his career.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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