The NHL announced the Pittsburgh Penguins Quarter-Century team on Jan. 9, featuring several memorable names in franchise history.
Today, we want to examine Evgeni Malkin's tenure with the club and his credentials for being honored on the Penguins' first team.
It is safe to say that some of the game's greatest skaters have played in Pittsburgh. During the final decade of Mario Lemieux's career, he got to skate with Jaromir Jagr. Meanwhile, Sidney Crosby has been fortunate to play alongside Malkin, arguably this generation's dynamic duo.
After 19 years, the best Russian-born player in franchise history has a trophy case that puts him on the Penguins' Mount Rushmore. Not only does Malkin have over 500 goals and 1,330 points, but he's one of of nine players to ever score 50 goals in a single season.
Moreover, Malkin achieved something Crosby didn't, and that's win the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in 2006-07. Within two seasons, he was an Art Ross Trophy winner and then won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP when the Penguins won their third Stanley Cup in 2009.
In 2011-12, when he scored 50 goals and 109 points to pace the league in points and shots on goal (339), Malkin cleaned up at the NHL awards show, winning the Art Ross, Hart Memorial, and Ted Lindsay awards.
Although that year was the last time Malkin would surpass 100 points, he came close in 2017-18 with 98 points, he's maintained a 91 point-per-season average in almost two decades.
Overall, Malkin is a one-time 50-goal scorer, three-time 40-goal scorer, and six-time 30-goal scorer. He's reached 20 goals in 15 seasons and ranks behind only Crosby (16) for most 20-goal campaign in team history.
As the third highest-scoring player to ever play for the Penguins, Malkin may be third in so many categories, but he's only behind Crosby regarding totals among all players over the past 25 years:
- Games Played: 1,192 (2nd)
- Goals: 507 (2nd)
- Assists: 823 (2nd)
- Points: 1,330 (2nd)
- Plus/Minus: Plus-33 (19th)
- Penalty Minutes: 1,184 (1st)
- Points Per Game: 1.12 (4th)
- Power Play Goals: 181 (1st)
- Power Play Points: 502 (2nd)
- Shorthanded Goals: 4 (12th)
- Shorthanded Points: 5 (17th)
- Overtime Goals: 13 (2nd)
- Game-Winning Goals: 85 (2nd)
- Shots: 3,765 (2nd)
- Hat Tricks: 15
- Awards: Calder Trophy (2007), Art Ross Trophy (2009, 2012), Conn Smythe Trophy (2009), Hart Memorial Trophy (2012), Ted Lindsay Award (2012)
- All-Star Games: 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016
- Honors: NHL All-Rookie Team (2007), NHL All-Star Team (1st) 2008, 2009, 2012
- Stanley Cup Wins: 2009, 2016, 2017
Following the 2024-25 season, Malkin will have one season left on his four-year deal that he signed on July 12, 2022. On July 13, he'll turn 40 and will have nothing left to prove with the Penguins or the NHL.
Although there have been whispers that Malkin would like to retire in his native Russia, playing in the KHL, there's no evidence to suggest that's his current plan.
Jun 14, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) and center Evgeni Malkin (71) hold the Stanley Cup during the Stanley Cup championship parade and rally in downtown Pittsburgh. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
No matter where or when Malkin hangs up his skates, there's no denying his place in the Hockey Hall of Fame as one of the top four players to ever lace'em up for the Penguins.
If Alex Ovechkin wasn't chasing down Wayne Gretzky's goal record, there's an argument that Malkin could be the greatest Russian-born player in NHL history. Either way, he is a top three player all-time.
