NHL News
Scribe Notes Date Crosby and Malkin Will Likely Leave Penguins
Dan Kingerski has written that it is inevitable both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will leave the Pittsburgh Penguins. When?
It seems crazy to imagine either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin in jerseys other than that of the Pittsburgh Penguins. That said, according to Pittsburgh Hockey Now reporter Dan Kingerski, leaving the team could be exactly the kind of difficult decision the two players might be facing in a couple of seasons.
Related: Penguins Could Be Going After Erik Haula in NHL Free Agency
Kingserksi writes that those two veterans, along with defenseman Kris Letang, might be looking at the organization going through a rebuild in the same way the Chicago Blackhawks are now. The only difference will be the age of the Penguins’ stars and what they’ll have left in the tank when Pittsburgh notifies their fans they’re being forced to start from scratch.
Obviously, GM Jim Rutherford is the type of manager who likes to add pieces on the fly and stay competitive. He tried to do so this offseason with Kasperi Kapanen and other deals, and he’s rumored to be in on Erik Haula in an attempt to keep the Penguins window to win open. But in doing so, Rutherford is limiting the ability of the team to fill its prospect pool and stock the shelves with future stars. Kingerski believes it’s inevitable that the Penguins won’t have much choice but to rebuild, and could have to do so by the year 2023.
By the time the organization is forced to send a painful “rebuilding letter” to the fans, Crosby and Letang will be 36-years-old, and Evgeni Malkin will be 37. It’s difficult to imagine those guys will sign up to finish their careers as a non-playoff team.
Kingerski writes:
A letter, at that point, would be met with eye-rolls and Captain Obvious comments. And in 2023, the Pittsburgh Penguins will only have a couple of top-picks in the system. That is hardly a new core to build around, partly because the picks will likely be in the mid to later first round and partly because of a lack of quantity.
Penguins Future Looks Grim
Unless Rutherford can create cap magic, the Penguins are racing against time befor they’ll find themselves in significant decline. That losing, at a minimum will last until 2025 or 2026. It’s not expected players like Crosby or Malkin will stick around to wait.
Certainly, the Penguins don’t want to lose either player but they have to see this day coming. When you build your team by moving draft picks and as age catches up to the roster, hard choices will have to be made. It’s going to be a strange time for Penguins’ fans.
Next: Pulock Deal Opens Buyout Window For Isles, Makes Barzal Deal Trickier
Johnny
November 4, 2020 at 5:32 pm
Here’s a tip, everyone knows in Pittsburgh that Kingerski has no real inside source. He makes things up and then tries to get clicks. Literally the worst guy on the worst site in all of Penguins media.
NHL Trade Talk
November 5, 2020 at 10:30 am
Perhaps. In this case, he might not be that far off. If you look at the fact the Penguins’ window will close and the age of these veterans, it’s not incredibly out there to think we might all be questioning what happens with Crosby and Malkin in a few seasons time.
There’s already been talk of Malkin and Letang trades. This just really stings because Crosby’s name is thrown into the mix.
Pingback: Washington Capitals Won't Be Alex Ovechkin's Final Team Says NHL Star