Evgeni Malkin. Montreal. Two words, a shock wave. And a city that holds its breath.
Since Saturday evening, rumors have been getting carried away. According to RG Media, an NHL leader reportedly said, under the guise of anonymity, that Malkin’s name was circulating in the Montreal Canadian discussions.
The idea? Make Malkin the mentor of Ivan Demidov. His guide. His big brother. Its model.
A bomb.
Because she enters directly into conflict with the information conveyed by Frank Seravalli, who assured that Malkin would end his career in Pittsburgh by spending a last year in the NHL, alongside her arms brother, Sidney Crosby. A last lap, before retirement. A logical end, especially since Malkin repeats that he will never play for another team than the Penguins.
But in the NHL, nothing is never certain. And even less in Pittsburgh.
Penguins are decaying. They shop Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. They refused to extend Evgeni Malkin beyond 2025-26. And Sidney Crosby, he still refuses to leave, but the CEO Kyle Dubas prays for him to change his mind in order to rebuild.
In other words: everything is on the table. Even Malkin.
And that’s where Montreal comes into play.
The profile is perfect. Malkin is Russian. Demidov loves it. He talks about it like his idol. He has imitated him since he was 5 years old. Each movement. Each posture. Each feint.
“I want to be like him,” he said.
“I watch his games in a loop. »»
It is not a trivial detail. In a wardrobe, in a North American environment sometimes hostile for young Russian players, this kind of presence can make all the difference.
And if CH wants to protect its raw diamond, accompany it in its transition, propel it towards the elite, it must create a cocoon around it.
Evgeni Malkin, it’s more than a player. He is an electric shock, even if his beautiful years are behind him. And even at 38, with an expiring contract at $ 6.1 million, it can still deliver 45 to 60 points in an offensive role.
Imagine: Malkin in the center. Demidov on the right. Patrik wool on the left.
A trio of fire. A bridge between generations. An incredible emotion that would circulate at the Bell Center.
For Malkin, it is also a potential rebirth. Because in Pittsburgh, there is nothing more to hope for. The reconstruction is engaged. The stars go out one by one. And its status as a local legend is no longer enough to guarantee it a rewarding role.
To come to Montreal is to become central again. Vital. Inspiring. A bit like Ilya Kovalchuk in 2020, but with an aura a thousand times more imposing.
Because Malkin, it’s 3 Stanley cuts. A Smythe conn. A Ross art. A Hart. 1346 career points. And a name forever engraved in the history of hockey.
The scenario is therefore more than a fantasy. It is strategic.
And it is at low cost.
Kent Hughes could offer a hope of bas-state or a late choice in 2026 or even make a “contract against contract” transaction.
One might think of Patrik Laine, whose future is compromised in Montreal according to several, but if Malkin arrives, it is clearly to twin it in the Finn and semi -idov.
Anyway, it is clear and clear that Pittsburgh does not want to know anything about wool, they who begin a reconstruction which will take years and years.
This is why the CEO Kyle Dubas would send Malkin with his eyes closed in Montreal for a choice or hope B. It is simply necessary that Malkin agrees to lift his non-Mouvement clause.
According to RG Media, the idea did not come from the Canadian, but on the NHL side. Of a leader who sees the chessboard being set up.
“It would be a very clear message: it is a total reconstruction at Pittsburgh and it would relaunch the rumors surrounding Sidney Crosby.
It would be better for everyone. I mean, would a team like Montreal be interested in having it as a mentor for Ivan Demidov, a guy who can still play and serve as a temporary solution at the center this season? »»
Even Michel Therrien, one of the first coaches of Malkin in the NHL, sees an extremely favorable eye an arrival in Montreal.
In a recent interview with TVA Sports, Therrien drew a direct parallel between the arrival of Malkin in Pittsburgh in 2006 and that of Demidov today with the Canadian.
“Personally, I had a similar experience with Evgeni Malkin, who won the Calder trophy in 2006-2007. In Pittsburgh, we supported our talented young people well so that they were well surrounded, on the ice and outside. »»
“Sidney Crosby lived at Mario Lemieux, Jordan Staal lived with Mark Recchi, while Sergei Gonchar had taken ‘Geno’ under his wing. According to Malkin, he rubbed shoulders with one of the best veterans he has known in the National League. »»
And it is precisely this logic of mentoring that Therrien wishes to see the Canadian reproduce with Ivan Demidov:
“This 19-year-old is a diamond to polish and this represents a great challenge for head coach Martin St-Louis. Despite its potential, hockey player needs teaching, and as an instructor, you do not want to depersonalize it. »»
According to Therrien, Evgeni Malkin would be the perfect veteran to accomplish this mission to Montreal, and he sends a clear message to Kent Hughes:
“In Montreal, you have to surround Demidov. And who better placed than Malkin to understand what it means to happen in the NHL as an expected Russian star? »»
The message could not be more clear. It is not a publicity stunt. It is not a distraction. It is a strategy to surround a half of strong figures. To offer it the best possible environment.
And Malkin, who has nothing more to prove, could find a new meaning.
Supporters are in a trance. On social networks, rumor caught fire. Some dream of a Malkin tricolor sweater at the CH boutique.
And during this time, Ivan Demidov no longer sleeps.
He dreams. Eyes wide open.
Of his idol. In the locker room next door. For real. To guide it. To look him in the eye and say:
“Here’s how we become a legend. »»
And if all this seems too good to be true, let’s remember one thing: Malkin is not far from being finished according to the Pittsburgh media. But we bet that Montreal could give him a second life.
A mentor for Demidov. One last dance for a legend. A shock for the NHL. And a gift for Montreal.
The countdown is launched.
AMEN.
