NHL insider Darren Dreger said Friday that he expects Evgeni Malkin’s trade protection to narrow in January, a change that could put the Pittsburgh Penguins center into trade discussions for the first time this season. Dreger made the comments on The Morning Show, and the account RinkyReport shared them on X.
Evgeni Malkin is in the final season of a one-year, $5.5 million contract he signed on May 26 and is a pending unrestricted free agent next summer. The deal carries a full no-movement clause, but the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported at the time that the Penguins can request a three-team approved trade list from Malkin for deals on Feb. 1 and beyond.
That list is the mechanism Dreger described. Rather than a clause that blocks any move Pittsburgh would have three approved destinations and a defined market if the season turns and general manager Kyle Dubas decides to sell.
“I believe that Geno Malkin’s no-trade list, I think it gets peeled back a couple teams in January, right? […] He’s still a decent second line center, in my opinion. He could give you some quality minutes. So maybe you get into the new year and a name like that all of a sudden mysteriously pops, right? I think we’re in that place where it’s fair to have that conversation.”
Dreger did not report that Malkin has asked for a trade, and there is no indication the Penguins are shopping him. The club has not commented publicly on his remarks.
Dreger still sees Evgeni Malkin as a second-line center
The second part of Dreger’s point was about fit. Evgeni Malkin has spent nearly all of his career in the middle but moved to the wing last January after a shoulder injury, and at 40 he is no longer a matchup center. Dreger’s view is that he can still handle a middle-six role for a team that needs help down the middle.
Evgeni Malkin has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 12 games this season and is averaging around 17 minutes per game. He picked up two assists in Pittsburgh’s 4-3 overtime loss to Utah on Thursday. He also had a strong season in 2025-26, recording 61 points in 56 games, his best points-per-game average since 2019-20.
A trade would not be entirely in Pittsburgh’s hands. Malkin has a full no-movement clause and would have to approve any deal. He has previously said he wants to remain with the Penguins. His contract also includes performance bonuses worth up to $3.5 million, tied to games played and playoff success.
The Penguins are now 5-6-2 following Thursday’s loss. If the Penguins fall out of the race, the February window is when a Malkin trade becomes practical rather than theoretical.
Edited by Sonali Verma
