It is clear from the playoffs that the Montreal Canadiens are going to need an upgrade at 2C next season. In a shallow free agency, the Canadiens' best option might have been Evgeni Malkin, but that dream disappeared with his re-signing in Pittsburgh on Tuesday with a new one-year deal.
At the end of the Penguins' season, Malkin made it clear that he wanted to continue his career and was open to the possibility of that being outside of Pittsburgh. That certainly would have been surprising for a player who spent his entire 20-season career with the Penguins after they drafted him second overall in 2004.
If Malkin were to leave, the logical teams competing for Malkin would probably be pretty limited, but the Canadiens could have been one of those teams. It was one of the reasons that David Pagnotta floated the idea of Montreal shortly after the Penguins' season while on The Sheet Podcast with Jeff Marek.
Evengi Malkin and the Montreal Canadiens could have been a perfect match
For Malkin, he could view the Canadiens as an ascending team with a young core. They are currently one series away from a Stanley Cup Final, and Malkin would be a perfect fit as the center for their second line.
As for the Canadiens, a one-year deal for Malkin would help them address the need next season while not blocking Michael Hage. He is one of their top prospects and looks NHL-ready, but elected to return to the University of Michigan next season.
The Canadiens would have needed a player to bridge that gap until Hage could join Montreal. While Malkin may not be the superstar center he was earlier in his career, he still showed he can be very productive with 61 points in 56 games last season.
For Montreal, they are still fighting for a Stanley Cup, and the focus is not on free agency quite yet. However, when that time comes, the center position will be a point of emphasis, and Evgeni Malkin is no longer an option.
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