- Wild GM Bill Guerin is interested in Evgeni Malkin if the price is right, Darren Dreger says
- Malkin must submit a three-team trade list in January
- Read below for what Dreger said and where Malkin’s season stands
The Wild would take a run at Evgeni Malkin if the Penguins ever make him available. TSN’s Darren Dreger said Thursday on TSN’s Insider Trading that Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin has interest, with a catch.
Dreger was asked about Malkin as a possible trade name, since the 40-year-old has to hand in a three-team list in January. He explained why the Wild fit.
“I know Guerin is interested, but only if the price is right and Malkin is ready to move at that point,” Dreger said.
Dreger also laid out why he thinks Malkin is worth a look. He called Malkin an impact player at 40 who runs the top power play, plays about 17 minutes a night and can still score. The big what-if is how the Penguins look by then.
“What if the Penguins are struggling in January?” Dreger said.
Guerin and Malkin go back a long way. They were teammates in Pittsburgh during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, which included the 2009 Stanley Cup run.
Nothing here suggests a deal is close. Malkin signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract in May with a full no-movement clause, so he controls where he goes. He has spent all 21 NHL seasons in Pittsburgh and has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 13 games this season.
We covered the start of this back on Oct. 30, when Dreger said Malkin’s protection could shrink in January. Here’s the clip of those comments:
Our earlier Malkin trade story has the contract details, and Dreger’s report that Kyle Dubas is taking calls on veterans is in our Karlsson trade breakdown. Malkin was not on that list.
For now, the Wild are the first team tied to Malkin.
