New York Rangers: The pros and cons of trading for Evgeni Malkin
By Ed Stein
Pros
As much as I want this list to be as long as the negatives, the pros of trading for Malkin are fewer but no less substantial. There is still plenty to like about Geno playing in New York.
Malkin is a three-time Stanley Cup Champion. He wasn’t merely part of the entourage, Geno was practically the main event. It gives him instant credibility should walk into the locker room at Madison Square Garden on the home side.
He knows what it takes to be a winner at the NHL level. It’s an intangible the Rangers have lacked for a long time. Probably back to Jaromir Jagr, Mark Messier, and Wayne Gretzky.
Even though he has missed significant time due to injury in the last 10 years, Malkin is still a point scoring machine. He put up 698 points in 610 games (includes 2012 lockout). That’s an average of 1.14 points per game. Over a full 82 games, that equates to 93 points. The New York Rangers haven’t had that kind of point production since Jagr scored 96 points in 2006-07.
He would be the scoring punch the Blueshirts lacked since Marian Gaborik was at his best. It’s a role even Rick Nash couldn’t fill during his time on Broadway. The tips and tricks younger players could learn from him to increase their own scoring potential would be invaluable. It’s a very tantalizing thought to see him tearing up ice in a Rangers number 71 jersey.
When my boys were younger I used to ask them questions about the wrestling business to make a point. I would ask, “what the babyface’s (good guy) job?” They would answer, “to sell tickets.” I would ask them what the heel’s (bad guy) job was. They would answer to “to sell tickets.” The point was, despite what the story they were watching on tv was, the goal of the company was always to sell tickets and merchandise.
The same philosophy exists in sports. Taking it to hockey, as much as teams want to win a Stanley Cup, and everyone in the organization can say they are champions, none of that happens without butts in seats, fans buying swag, and a hefty television contract. Evgeni Malkin playing for New York Rangers checks all those boxes.