Evgeni Malkin (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Could both Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and veteran center Evgeni Malkin both finish the upcoming season with different teams?
After practice on Friday, Malkin told reporters that if, as many expect, the 2025-26 season goes in the tank for the Penguins, he would consider waiving his no-movement clause to be traded to a Stanley Cup contender.
On Friday night, an NHL executive source told Research Ground that three teams: the Montreal Canadiens (who have already been linked to Crosby), the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Florida Panthers, have all looked into Malkin’s availability at some point since the 2024 offseason.
“I’m sure there’s been other teams too in the past, but I’m told those three teams, at some point last season, asked about Malkin, Crosby, and other Penguins players, but as (Penguins general manager) Kyle [Dubas] made it clear to the media somany times, the answer has always been a hard no,” the source said.
“When it comes to Dubas, he really has done a great job of leaving this up to Sid and Malkin. He respects their standing in team and league history, and he’s letting them dictate where this goes. Well, now, they’re dictating it and actually talking about it. They haven’t asked out, but they haven’t ruled asking out either.”
When speaking to reporters on Friday, Malkin cited former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand, who, after almost 16 full seasons with the Bruins, waived his no-trade clause at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline to be dealt to the Florida Panthers. The 37-year-old Marchand went on to play an instrumental role in the Panthers’ run to their second-straight Stanley Cup win with ten goals and ten assists in 23 games.
“It’s hard,” said Malkin, who is entering his 20th NHL season with his first 19 having all been with the Penguins.
“Again, we see a story like Brad Marchand. Looking good. Team trades you, you win the Cup. It’s a little weird, too. Of course, everybody wants to make the playoffs, maybe make one more run at the Cup. Great story. But I don’t know how I would feel if the team wants to trade me.”
Back in June, leading into the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas indicated that, at the time, there were no plans to offer Malkin a contract extension past this upcoming season. At the time, RG reported that some NHL executives were already monitoring the Malkin situation and wondering if and when he would become available on the NHL trade market. Just hours before the first round of the draft, RG asked an NHL Executive if teams would be interested in Malkin, who turned 39 this past July, should he reach the NHL free agent market on July 1, 2026, which would be 30 days before his 40th birthday?
“Or he gets traded, gets a chance to earn an extension somewhere else, or increases his value for the free agent market next year,” the executive opined at the time.
“That would send a real message—this is a full-out rebuild in Pittsburgh—and fuel [Sidney] Crosby rumors even more, but maybe it’s best for all involved. I mean, would a team like Montreal be interested in him as a mentor for [Ivan] Demidov that can also still play and be a stopgap in the middle this season?”
RG reached out to that same executive on Friday night to get his take on Malkin’s comments earlier in the day.
“Look, everyone around the league, including the Penguins, has known since the start of last season what was really going on in Pittsburgh. It’s been pretty clear they’ve entered a rebuild,” the source pointed out.
“Having seen how that’s taken a toll on any star athlete in the past, we’ve all wondered if and when the day would come when Crosby and Malkin would want out so they could get one more chance to win a Cup. So, you’re not doing your job if you haven’t been monitoring this. Now, you’ve seen Sid at least not close the door to that, and Malkin opened the door with his words to the media. I, personally, don’t see either of them finishing the season in Pittsburgh unless the team comes out flying this season and stuns us all.”