PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – There were players in the Pens locker room this season that have played with Evgeni Malkin his entire career. Some for a couple of years, some not at all, but have admired him from afar. What you find in talked to the players is there respect for him and desire to continue to be his teammate.
“I love Geno,” said Pens forward Bryan Rust. “I love Geno as a friend and teammate. I don’t know life in the NHL without him.”
“He’s a guy who’s taught me a lot over the years. Watching how he does everything and how he handles everything. I want Geno around here as long as I’m around here.”
That’s pretty clear from one of the core pieces of the Pens next season. Same thought from a player who had his locker next to Malkin’s for most of his Pens career.
“It’s been awesome,” said forward Rickard Rakell. “For him as a hockey player to be around him every day, see what he does and learn from him. His personality, to sit next to him and talk to him, it’s been awesome.”
“I really would want to see him back. He really showed this year that he’s a really, really, really good player. He was a big part of us taking that big step this year. It would be great to see him back.”
“I don’t see him not being back. He’s going to be back.”
Even the first-year head coach, while careful to point out roster decisions are not his job and there are conversations he’s not a part of, spoke glowingly of the 39-year-old.
“It’s been great getting to know him, he’s been awesome,” said Dan Muse. “He loves the game. He loves being on the ice. The passion for the game, you see it in the game and the day-to-day. For him to be doing it at such a high level for such a long time.”
While 61 points in 56 games as a near 40-year-old is impressive, maybe what was as striking this season was what Malkin did for the first time. Muse saw him as a winger and the 20-year center made the switch, without issue and both he and the team benefitted from it.
“He’s an incredible individual personally and professionally,” said defenseman Erik Karlsson. “He’s a big part of this room. He’s a big part of this culture, this group. He’s still playing at a very high level. The narrative that this day and age calls for that it’s a young man’s league, he’s done everything in his power to prove that he’s still an impactful player in this league.”
“I don’t think Geno has gotten credit that he deserves by outside people since he’s been in the league,” Rust said. “I think he’s one of the best players ever. He’s won individual awards, Stanley Cups. He’s done a whole lot in this league. When you play on a team with Sid it’s not that hard to get overlooked. He’s been an extremely special player his entire career.”
He was noticed by 25-year-old Russian Egor Chinakhov. After acquiring him from Columbus, Chinakhov had immediate success on Malkin’s line. All of a sudden, he’s playing with one of the greatest hockey players in his country’s history.
“You never dream about it, but it’s pretty cool to play with him,” Chinahkov said. “I know about him a little bit, he’s so funny. Every day he’s happy.”
What Evgeni Malkin said about wanting to return
Chinahkov added he’s learned a lot from him, not just by what he said, but by watching how he approaches not just games, but practices. His passion for the game.
Then there are the players he’s spent his entire career with and won three Stanley Cups with in one of the greatest two-decade trios in sports history.
“It’s tough,” said Pens captain Sidney Crosby. “We will see what happens. We’ve played together so long. It’s clear I’d love to be playing with him for longer. I think it’s pretty obvious at this point I’d love to play with him.”
“We are really close, me, Geno, Sid, you just want to keep it going,” said alternate captain Kris Letang. “You don’t know anything other than that. You get so close to these guys, you want to keep it going.”
Those two went on to explain more about one of the most prolific scorers in NHL history (23rd in career points with 1,407).
“Just his ability to step up, his competitiveness, the energy he brings to the rink every day,” Crosby said. “He still loves it. He still wants to win.”
“He’s a determined guy with a lot of pride. For as long as he’s played here he’s been a part of setting the standard. On top of all the experiences that we’ve shared you build that belief, trust and bond. That’s something we had over the course of time.”
“The commitment he has,” Letang said. “Geno is a pure talent, when you come into the league and you have so much talent like this, sometimes you don’t see the work that is put into it. As his career went on, he put even more work into it as he was getting older.”
“People don’t see it, but he’s a funny guy. He’s a guy people want to hang around. He’s just a great teammate, there is nothing you can say bad about Geno.”
Malkin said during locker cleanout he spoke with Pens general manager Kyle Dubas and wants to play one more year in Pittsburgh.
What will the organization decide?
LISTEN to what teammate say about Malkin, Sid says I love to play with him
LISTEN to what teammate say about Malkin, Sid says I love to play with him
