Dan Powers of the Empty Netters Podcast wrote on Friday after it was learned that Aleksander Barkov was likely to miss the entire 2025-26 season, “If Barkov’s injury is, in fact, long-term, a trade for Evgeni Malkin makes a hell of a lot of sense for Florida.”
Powers was likely saying this to create engagement and stir the pot a little in Pittsburgh, but he’s probably not that far off when it comes to the Panthers pivoting after learning that Barkov is out due to knee surgery, and for the foreseeable future.
Barkov’s Injury Means The Panthers Need to Change Course
ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes noted, “Given upcoming injury news to Barkov, the long-term injury to [Matthew] Tkachuk, and the fact that they can potentially three-peat as Stanley Cup Champs, the Panthers might have some big decisions to make.” Among them is how to replace their captain’s production and acquire a center that can keep them in the hunt.
The Penguins quickly become a team Florida might look to.
Elliotte Friedman tweeted, “Going to know more in the next 24-48 hours, but Panthers are bracing for the possibility their captain, Aleksander Barkov, could be lost for the season. Would be brutal, no one wants to see that…but, unfortunately, was a bad injury.” If they learn right away that Barkov is done, what then?
PuckPedia — the popular salary cap website — notes, “If Barkov might return this year, the Panthers can exceed the cap by up to $3.8M for his injury. If he’s medically declared out for the full regular season and playoffs, they can exceed the cap by his full $10M and then he’s ineligible to play this season or playoffs.”
Enter Evgeni Malkin
The Penguins are still trying to figure out what to do with Malkin, who, in the last year of his contract, understands the writing is on the wall. His future with the Penguins is anything but assured, and while he has no desire to play elsewhere, it sounds like he’s starting to come to grips with the idea he might be moving on if he wants to extend his NHL career.
In a recent interview, Malkin referenced Brad Marchand’s move from Boston to Florida, saying that those kinds of deals can make a player realize what’s possible. Marchand never wanted to leave the Bruins, but he was pushed out by an organization that wanted to pay him less than he was worth and moving in a different direction. He moved on to the Panthers and won another Stanley Cup.
Malkin said he’d like to stay in Pittsburgh, but that you never know what will happen this season. Much of it will depend on how the Penguins play.
What was not expected was that the Panthers might now be looking for a center since their top player is out. That could widen the appeal of the Panthers for Malkin, who, if Barkov can return for the playoffs, could play a 1B or depth role in the postseason.
Why Not Sidney Crosby?
Some fans asked Powers why the Panthers wouldn’t target Sidney Crosby over Malkin. In a perfect world, they would. However, the cost to acquire Crosby will be much higher than the cost to land Malkin in a trade. And, considering Crosby has one more season on his deal after this one, he’s not a rental.
When a fan noted that Malkin can’t come close to replacing Barkov, Powers responded, “No one’s saying he replaces him. Frankly, not sure a single center in the league replaces Barkov. But Malkin is a low-cost stopgap that could be a smart move. Crosby is possibly unavailable or too expensive.”