The Florida Panthers took a loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. It was certainly a tough one for them to give up. And it marks a second straight defeat after a 3-0-0 start to the season. However, no one is counting this team out in the slightest. It would be foolish to do so this early in the year.
At the same time, there is an elephant in the room with this Panthers team. They are not at full strength. Aleksander Barkov tore his ACL during training camp and is out for the regular season. Matthew Tkachuk is also out with an injury that he played through during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Depth forward Thomas Nosek is also out long-term, as well.
These are three players, but they are important pieces. Nosek anchors one of the best fourth lines in hockey. Barkov is the heart and soul of this team, as well as its captain. And Tkachuk is one of the most exciting players in the NHL.
Of course, the Panthers are still a good team without these players. But they are far from full strength. As a result, this could open up the possibility of a big trade. One player Florida has been linked to in recent weeks is Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin.
It's hard to imagine the Penguins actually trading Malkin, to be fair. However, it's not out of the realm of possibility. With this in mind, here is a potential trade offer Florida could make to acquire the future Hall of Famer this season.
Panthers-Penguins Evgeni Malkin trade offer
Assuming Malkin becomes available, the next question surrounds his trade value. Malkin is one of the best players of his generation. A bona fide elite playmaker who only played on the second line because Sidney Crosby was on the same team. However, he is also 39 years old, on an expiring contract, and potentially in an offensive decline.
His playmaking has remained at a high level to begin this season. Malkin has six assists in four games so far. In saying this, he has yet to score a goal. And last season, his 16 goals marked just the fourth time in his career he didn't score at least 20 goals in a single season.
Thankfully, there are some examples of trades involving similar players. In fact, both involve the Panthers. They traded for Brad Marchand last season at the trade deadline. And in 2022, they swung a deal for Claude Giroux from the Philadelphia Flyers.
Marchand cost them a conditional second-round pick. Meanwhile, the Giroux deal cost Florida a first-round pick, an NHL player in Owen Tippett, and a third-round pick. These serve as a baseline for our Malkin trade pitch, as outlined below:
Florida Panthers acquire: Evgeni Malkin
Pittsburgh Penguins acquire: Mackie Samoskevich, a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick
Why Malkin trade pitch works for both teams
The trade cost is certainly inflated a bit compared to the other deals. However, there is some important context. First, the Panthers got a cut-price deal for Marchand due to various factors. He was injured at the time, and he only wanted to play for the Panthers.
To be fair, Malkin could force his way to Florida if he so desired. His contract has a full no-movement clause, so the Penguins cannot move him without his express permission.
Further complicating matters is Malkin's importance to the Penguins. He is one of their greatest players in franchise history. There is an emotional aspect to this deal that won't allow general manager Kyle Dubas to simply give him away. And he may not need to resort to just taking a trade for the sake of it. Pittsburgh appears to be the only team willing to truly become a seller in the trade market.
The Penguins need to get something out of this trade. And this offer gives them something. They get a young, NHL-ready winger in Samoskevich whose ceiling in Florida may be limited by the veterans around him. Pittsburgh also receives two premium selections, including a first-rounder.
For the Panthers, they move picks they don't need and clear out a roster spot in the NHL. Malkin could be kicked to the wing after a trade. Or he could continue down the middle while someone such as Anton Lundell moves over. Florida would have a lot of options.
In the end, this is all speculation. It depends on how the Penguins and Panthers perform as the season rolls along. If Malkin becomes available, though, this is the sort of trade that could make Florida a frontrunner for his services.
