First off, let’s get this out of the way. Evgeni Malkin is no stranger to trade rumours.
The Russian superstar seems to be the target of ‘done-deal’ trade rumours every 4-5 years, with the most recent boom coming in the summer of 2015. The Penguins, coming off a disappointing first-round loss to the New York Rangers at the time, were vocal about the lack of depth scoring. Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman said this regarding Malkin at the time (April 27 2015):
“If you can get two or three pieces including a guy that can play with (Sidney) Crosby, don’t you think about it?