PITTSBURGH — Rarely during his time in Pittsburgh has the spotlight on Kyle Dubas shone brighter than this week.
The NHL trade deadline is just four days away, and in one of this season’s more stunning developments, Dubas’ Penguins are in playoff position, sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division. In fact, given that the Penguins have the NHL’s fifth-best goal differential, they might be actual contenders, especially if Dubas can add to their roster between now and Friday afternoon.
Of course, this won’t be the only thing on the president/general manager’s mind.
Evgeni Malkin’s contract has been on Penguins fans’ minds — and, naturally, on Malkin’s mind, too — all season. Malkin, who is in the final year of his contract, spoke with reporters on Saturday at Madison Square Garden about his representatives’ meeting with Dubas last week.
What do we know?
Malkin’s primary agent, J.P. Barry, met with Dubas last week.
The two didn’t talk numbers, but rather the idea of bringing Malkin back past this season. No decision was made, nor was a new contract offered.
Malkin was not present at this meeting.
Following the Penguins’ loss in New York on Saturday, Malkin told members of the media that no decision will be made on his future in Pittsburgh until after the season.
Barry confirmed to The Athletic over the weekend that Malkin is going to have a face-to-face meeting with Dubas “in the next day or two.”
So, as early as Monday, Malkin is going to sit in the same room with Dubas and discuss a potential future with the Penguins. Monday seems likely, given that the Penguins have the day off from practice. They play in Boston on Tuesday.
As of last summer, Dubas and Penguins management had concluded that Malkin was not part of their plans once his contract expired. Malkin turns 40 in July, and the Penguins want to get younger.
Of course, no one could have predicted the season Malkin would have, how well he would transition to playing on the wing, nor how impressively he’d gel with one of the Penguins’ newest players, Egor Chinakhov. Malkin has 47 points in 44 games this season, while also cutting down on the bad penalties and turnovers that have sporadically plagued his otherwise brilliant career.
The question now: Has Dubas changed his mind on Malkin, given how elite his performance has been this season?
Only he knows the answer. The Penguins have around $48 million in cap space next season, so money really isn’t an issue.
The bigger issue would appear to be whether Dubas and the Penguins braintrust believe Malkin can help the team. Sure, he has been outstanding this season, but will he remain at this level a year from now and into his 40s? Those aren’t easy questions for the Penguins, who are well aware that public sentiment will side with Malkin, a franchise icon.
Sidney Crosby wants Malkin to stick around. After this season, Crosby will have only one year remaining on his contract. The Penguins captain is not known to flex his muscles too much about personnel decisions, but his influence looms large, and his feelings on Malkin are no secret.
I spoke with Malkin privately after he met with the media on Saturday. I sense that he’s disappointed because he believes he’s earned another contract. I wouldn’t say he was angry about the situation, but maybe a bit miffed. He also offered that “maybe” things will change after he meets with Dubas.
A source close to Malkin told me over the weekend that the meeting between Malkin and Dubas is expected to be a “follow-up” to the discussion that Barry and Dubas had last week. It would be highly unusual for Malkin and Dubas to talk numbers without an agent present. Rather, this meeting is expected to be a man-to-man conversation about the Penguins’ appetite to bring Malkin back next season, or what has to transpire for Malkin to be a part of their plans.
This decision belongs to Dubas, who has immense respect for Malkin’s career and his influence in the locker room. But Dubas also has a plan for the present and future Penguins, and his plan clearly is working. Will he integrate Malkin into that plan? We’re about to find out.
Trade deadline considerations
For the first time in years, the Penguins might be contenders during trade deadline week. They have an enormous amount of movable assets, plenty of cap space and a couple of holes in their lineup. Buckle up.
The team’s actions could depend on Crosby’s recovery timeline.
Crosby was said to be out at least four weeks, and it’s been almost two since he was injured in the Olympics. So, does that mean he could be back in a couple of weeks? It’s conceivable. Remember, though, that Crosby did not undergo the typical rehabilitation process in Milan because, for the first few days after the injury, he was trying to prepare his body to play in the semifinals and gold medal game.
As a result, there is a large gray area surrounding his return. It could be two weeks. It could be three weeks. It could be four weeks. Maybe longer. It’s all a guessing game.
Crosby’s absence makes the Penguins’ need for a center more glaring. They’ve lost 70 percent of their faceoffs in the past two games. It’s a real problem.
Crosby’s recovery and the team’s performance in the next two games before the deadline could dictate just how eager Dubas is to add a center to his lineup.
Ultimately, the Penguins would love to add a depth defender, but Crosby’s availability — or lack thereof — could impact the plan.
See ya, Skinner?
There is legitimate interest from other teams in Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner.
This is a goaltender-starved league, and the Penguins could get something in return for Skinner, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in the Tristan Jarry trade. The organization is also almost unanimous in the belief that 21-year-old Sergei Murashov is ready to thrive in the NHL.
Recently, Artūrs Šilovs has played like a No. 1 goaltender. He’s allowed only 16 goals in his past nine starts.
That said, the Penguins like Skinner and his veteran presence. He’s played well in Pittsburgh. I sense that Skinner can be had in a trade, but only at a significant price. The Penguins would let him walk this summer before they’d trade him for little value.
Broz’s reputation
The Penguins believe young players Avery Hayes and Rutger McGroarty are capable of helping them in the postseason.
I don’t hear the same things about Tristan Broz. He’s not having a bad season in AHL Wilkes-Barre, and the Penguins still believe he will be an NHL player, but team sources I spoke with don’t have the same confidence in him as Hayes and McGroarty.
Ownership update
Since the Hoffmann family agreed to buy the Penguins in December, things have been pretty quiet on that front. The family is expected to transition into its role as majority owner of the Penguins by the end of April, which, interestingly enough, would be in the middle of the postseason.
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