The Minnesota Wild have already made plenty of waves this season on the trade market. The Quinn Hughes deal completely blew the NHL out of the water, instantly catapulting the club to Stanley Cup contention.
But the Wild are still looking to add. According to ongoing chatter, GM Bill Guerin could have another move waiting in the wings.
In a January 7 piece, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos hinted at the possibility of another mega-deal for the Wild. In particular, this deal involves a Pittsburgh Penguins legend. No, the Penguins’ legend is not Sidney Crosby.
It’s another Penguins’ legend: Evgeni Malkin. Kypreos wrote the following about this possible swap involving the Wild:
“There are teams that would dearly love to land Evgeni Malkin, though he’s in full control of the situation with a no-movement clause in the final season of his contract. There’s talk of Minnesota GM Bill Guerin laying low in the weeds, looking to make another significant trade, and wondering if Russian Kirill Kaprizov can help convince Malkin to join the Wild for a playoff run. If Malkin allows it, expect him to move before the trade deadline.”
Adding Malkin would fit the chatter purporting that the Wild would love to add a top-six forward. However, one has to wonder just how feasible the trade would be. As Kypreos noted, Minnesota would have to enlist Kaprizov’s power of persuasion to entice Malkin to leave Pittsburgh and head to Minnesota.
Wild Need Depth Down the Middle
The move makes sense as the Wild need depth down the middle. The Hughes trade meant losing their number-one center. Minnesota has rolled with Danila Yurov on the top line . However, a Stanley Cup contender will need more thana rookie on its top line.
In addition to Yurov, the Wild have Joel Eriksson Ek and Ryan Hartman in the 2C and 3C spots, respectively. However, that’s not really what the team would like heading into the postseason.
By adding Malkin, the Wild could instantly elevate the veteran Russian forward to the top-line role. That move would allow the club to slide everyone down one slot on the depth chart. The prospect of having Malkin and Kaprizov on the same line is something that would certainly tickle Bill Guerin’s fancy.
Acquisition Cost of Malkin May Be High
As for the acquisition cost, landing Malkin could prove pricey for the Wild. There’s no real telling how much the Penguins would want for Malkin. Even with his full no-trade protection, the Penguins won’t jettison Malkin for peanuts. Unless Malkin requests a trade, moving him isn’t a priority.
The Penguins find themselves in a playoff spot at the moment. That’s why moving Malkin wouldn’t make a ton of sense. In that regard, the Wild may face an uphill battle in trying to pry Malkin away.
Still, the Wild could be looking to do whatever they can to ensure their postseason survival. Malkin seems like a good fit in Minnesota, but it might take considerable legwork to make that happen this season.
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