Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Friedman: Penguins need to ‘think about’ trading Malkin

Columbus Blue Jackets v Pittsburgh Penguins

Columbus Blue Jackets v Pittsburgh Penguins

NHLI via Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins came up short in the playoffs again, falling in five games to the New York Rangers while scoring just eight goals total.

And you know what another playoff disappointment for the Penguins means -- no shortage of ideas on how to fix them.

While the jobs of the coach and GM appear safe, at least one prominent NHL insider -- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman -- believes it’s time for the franchise to “think about” trading Evgeni Malkin.

“If you can get two or three pieces including a guy that can play with (Sidney) Crosby, don’t you have to think about it?” Friedman said Monday on Sportnet radio. “At what point do you say, yeah, we won the Stanley Cup, but that was six years ago? These two guys together make $18.2 million, and we keep losing in the playoffs because we don’t have enough support pieces.”

Remember that the Penguins also have defenseman Kris Letang signed to a hefty contract. In fact, Crosby, Malkin and Letang are each top-25 cap hits in the NHL.

Now, for the record, the Penguins say they have “no interest” in breaking up Crosby and Malkin, so all this could be a complete non-starter.

‘Tis that time of the season, though.