Pensburgh wrapup: Evgeni Malkin
by FrankD on Jun 10, 2010 8:00 AM EDT
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Print"Ridicule is the tribute paid to the genius by the mediocrities." – Oscar Wilde
Season Stats:
Playoff Stats
Month by Month Pensburgh Grades:
October: B+
November: A
December: B
January: B
February: A-
March: B-
April: C+
Contract status: Signed through 2013/14 with a cap hit of $8.7 million. Becomes an UFA in 2014.
Interesting stat: In 2009 Geno played all 82 games and registered more than one point in 32 of them. In 2010, having missed 15 games to a shoulder injury, Malkin registered 22 multi-point efforts over the span of 67 games.
The Good: Geno averaged 1.15 points per game in 2010, which really isn't far off from his 2009 average of 1.38. When you consider the early-season should injury that kept him down early, Malkin pretty much did all that was expected of him, and maybe even beyond. You really have to consider a lot of things beyond even the injury. For example, coming back in the middle of the season from an injury is no easy task for any athlete. Players always talk about finding a rhythm early on and maintaining it throughout the year. An injury puts a damper on that and can really throw off a guys game, even when his body is back to 100%. Conditioning is also a factor to consider. Sure, it was a shoulder injury, and chances are Geno was riding the bike and keeping his cardio on track, but does that really translate to game conditioning? Hardly.
I don't remember many people speculating an injury or problem early in the year, but his foul goals over the span of 12 games should've been an indication that something was up. To his credit, and more so to the relief of fans, he pocketed three assists. After one scoreless game against the Ducks on November 16, Geno went on a six-game tear that included four goals and four assists. It wasn't until the final game of the season against the Islanders that we saw Malkin hit his season-high four point game (2g, 2a). Things looked like they were on the right track heading into the playoffs. Sadly, despite his 11 points in 13 games, we all now how that ended.
The Not-So-Good: Geno was third on the team in PIM with an even 100, behind only perennial tough/mix-up guys Matt Cooke (106) and Mike Rupp (120). What good is a scorer when he sits in the box? This was easily the most frustrating aspect of Malkin's game during the 2009-10 season. There's no real way to translate those PIM to points, but we could provide a little case study of sorts. If you take each game of the playoffs and round up or down to the closest minute (depending on under or over the 30 second mark), then Geno averaged close to 22 minutes per game. Now if you figure he scored 11 points over 13 games, that comes out to .85 ppg. So if we can conclude that every 22 minutes Geno tallied .85 ppg, then we can apply that to his PIM. So, with that said, for every 22 minutes of play Geno was scoring .85 ppg. Divide 100 by 22, times it by .85 and Geno missed out on close to four points on the season (3.86). Waste of time? Yeah, I agree. But I started with the idea and had to finish it.
The other aspect of Geno's game that doesn't necessarily translate to paper is his presence on the ice. I know it wasn't just me, based on game thread comments, that noticed Malkin was lagging a bit out there. Exhaustion? Injury? Who knows. But he sure didn't possess the same fire he had in 2009 when he just completely dismantled the other team's defense.
Final Verdict: Malkin played just fine given the circumstances that he faced in 2010. As the Oscar Wilde quote hints, those below his level of talent felt justified by saying things about how he tanked on the season, dogged it for the second half of the season or will never win another scoring title again. The real final verdict on his 2010 performance will come in 2011.
Question and Discussion: Do you have faith that Geno's play in 2010-11 will return to the level that netted him the Art Ross Trophy last season? Furthermore, are you at all worried about his 2009-10 performance?
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Not in the slightest. Every player has an off year. And if an off year for this superstar is still at well above PPG. I’ll take it.
Maybe the Pens need to get someone awesome to help setup Geno??? Fed and Pony need to go. The Pens should have won the cup, not the Hawks. Oh yeah, and get a “shut-down” D-line!! Go Pens.
"Elvis has now left the building!!"
Nittany Lions 4 Life
It’s tough to get good help, period. There aren’t many high scoring wingers or good two-way d-men floating around out there because the teams lucky enough to have them often make sure to lock them up long term.
My biggest frustration with Malkin was at times he just looked disinterested. That being said, I think there were times during the season, and maybe a little in the Montreal series the whole team looked disinterested. I think you hit nail on the head, Malkin and Pens just didn’t have that “Fire” at times. Even though this is Sid’s team, Pens will live and die in the playoffs based on the play of a Malkin. It seems like if he gets his motor running he can even spark Sid to turn it up. I love having both of them, and as for next year i think he returns to a 100pt season (barring injury).
"Let the Rabbits wear glasses"
My biggest frustration with Malkin was at times he just looked disinterested.
+1000000
I know that no player is at 100% energy all the time. But for a guy who makes $9 million a year, Malkin was too disinterested and lackadaisical. I do think that will change next year, though.
Pittsburgh sports all the way
I think there have been stars across all sports whose style of play makes it appear that they aren’t trying hard all the time. This was even a knock against Mario at times during his career.
The Pens will be back.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Jun 10, 2010 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions
And I think being compared to a workaholic like Sid doesn’t help. But nonetheless, all I can think about when I see Malkin moping around is his $9 million dollar salary.
Pittsburgh sports all the way
To be honest, considering who they were playing him with (Fedotenko, Talbot, Dupuis, Ponikarovsky), moving him to the point on the PP I think he conducted himself like a pro.
It was a far cry from 2008-09, but don’t forget Malkin played with his hurt shoulder for a while too.
I don’t think he was as mentally focused as he could have been, but at the same time I don’t think he moped around out there either.
by Hooks Orpik on Jun 10, 2010 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions
considering who they were playing him with (Fedotenko, Talbot, Dupuis, Ponikarovsky)
i think that was the biggest problem
he never had ONE guy on his line on whom he could really rely to give his all + take advantage of his skills
Talbot and Dupuis give their all, but they are not offensively gifted
the Ukranians just stunk
How will you all feel if Geno has another “average” or worse year? I am not Geno’s biggest fan. I am Sid’s biggest fan outside of Pittsbirgh. Malkin admitted to being “tired” in his interview with Rossi, but then he went to Germany (along with Gonch) and played for Russia! Sid would never admit to anyone he was tired or exhausted—except maybe to his parents.
My issue is that he did look uninterested, like he just didn’t care. It’s like when he feels to turn it on his does and when he doesn’t feel like it the entire team suffers.
That being said, I pray and hope Geno has a great next season. Anything less is unacceptable.
by PensFanInDenver on Jun 10, 2010 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions
That being said, I pray and hope Geno has a great next season. Anything less is unacceptable.
This perfectly sums up my feeling on the matter. A $9 million dollar a year player can not have back-to-back sub par years, especially in a salary cap league. I want him to do extremely well, but if we’re in February 2011, and Geno is still struggling, I think Shero might want to see what other teams would offer in return.
Pittsburgh sports all the way
Thank you for stating that! I wanted to be careful with my words because so many in Pitt country love Geno, and MAF, for that matter.
Yes, I concur, if Malkin is struggling next season, I feel Shero would need to look at seeing what he could get for him at the trade deadline. The offer would need to be excellent, of course.
I have learned that we are all replaceable, like it or not
by PensFanInDenver on Jun 10, 2010 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Shero is not crazy enough to trade a player whose “worst” result since his rookie year is one where he would have picked up 94 points over a full season.
The Pens will be back.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Jun 10, 2010 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions
I think the crux of the matter is that Malkin is tying up a lot of money on the team. The only comparable players I can think of that have a cap hit like his are Ovechkin and Crosby. They have never put up a season as bad as the one Malkin did last year.
One thing we tend to forget is that it’s not just points that you expect from a $9 million dollar player. You also want consistency, leadership, a good faceoff winning percentage, low penalty minutes, and solid defense. Malkin was lagging in all of those categories last year, and in my opinion, even if he put up 94 points over 82 games, it doesn’t excuse his play in the other categories because he’s commanding such a big salary.
Because Malkin is still young, next year is critical. If he starts to have another down year, who’s to say this is still an aberration? How long will it last? Is this closer to the real Geno? My point above was that Shero should be mindful of Malkin’s trade value, and if he struggles again next season, refusing to trade him until he’s put together more sub-par seasons would diminish his value and hurt the team more in the long-run.
And for the record, I’m a Malkin fan, and it’s my number one desire that he succeed next year. But considerations like this have to come into play because of the salary cap league the Penguins play in.
Pittsburgh sports all the way
Which stat did you use to determine that he was lagging in leadership?
The Pens will be back.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Jun 10, 2010 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Here we go again with these “fans” saying to get rid of Malkin after one down season that saw him average more than a point per game.
by Mario's Mullet on Jun 11, 2010 7:20 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
MM – I never said trade Malkin. In fact, here’s what I really said:
And I wouldn’t trade him now because I agree with the general consensus that having one bad year isn’t enough because it doesn’t establish a trend in the long-run.
Pittsburgh sports all the way
Sorry I wasn’t calling you out, just other people
by Mario's Mullet on Jun 13, 2010 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions
And why wait to trade him? Wouldn’t his value be much higher now than if you wait for him to have another “down” season?
The Pens will be back.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Jun 10, 2010 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Being 3rd on the team in penalty minutes as a star forward was enough to indicate a lack of leadership to me. However, I think you should patent the idea of a leadership stat…that would be pretty cool PAYD.
And I wouldn’t trade him now because I agree with the general consensus that having one bad year isn’t enough because it doesn’t establish a trend in the long-run. But if this continues into next February (which I hope to God it doesn’t), then I think there’s a trend that’s starting to develop.
It’s obviously a judgment call as to when you’ve got enough games to see if Malkin is going to bounce back or stay in a slump.
Pittsburgh sports all the way
I’ll work on those leadership metrics. I’m thinking height and shot power will be two key components. ;-)
The Pens will be back.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Jun 10, 2010 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions
You should follow around Mike Richards. According to Pierre McGuire he is the epitome of hockey leadership, lol.
That’s pretty much why I also said that his 2010-11 performance will justify or at the least balance out the true final judgment from this season. Every guy’s allowed to have an “off” year, one that is often the result of an injury or something, but when it happens two years in a row it starts to raise some concern.
Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.
That’s not very nice. I like Go Pens! I am sure you were just joking!
LOL
by PensFanInDenver on Jun 10, 2010 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Listening to the discussion of Geno not trying reminds me of a classic movie:
Joey: I think you’re the greatest, but my dad says you don’t work hard enough on defense.
[Kareem’s getting mad]
Joey: And he says that lots of times, you don’t even run down court. And that you don’t really try… except during the playoffs.
Roger Murdock: The hell I don’t. LISTEN KID. I’ve been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I’m out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes.
The Pens will be back.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Jun 10, 2010 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Malkin admitted to being "tired" in his interview with Rossi, but then he went to Germany (along with Gonch) and played for Russia! Sid would never admit to anyone he was tired or exhausted—except maybe to his parents.
- Crosby did say he was tired and wanted a break from all the hockey as the reason he didn’t go play for Canada.
- The Russians have an overwhelming sense of pride. When their country calls, they answer. Especially after the Olympics fiasco they wanted (and failed) to at least end things on a good note.
I don’t fault Malkin for playing in the Worlds. It’s a bigger ice surface and a lot less physical than NHL playoffs. Malkin, btw, was one of the best players in that tournament. He may have been “tired” but he still had some gas left in the tank.
by Hooks Orpik on Jun 10, 2010 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
True, he was named as an all-star of the tournament. Are you calling a 2-1 gold medal loss a failure?
The Pens will be back.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Jun 10, 2010 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions
True, but when I watched the highlights from Worlds, which weren’t that far removed from the end of the Penguins’ season, I couldn’t help but wonder where that Malkin was during the regular season and playoffs. I understand that he was playing on what could be considered an All-Star team made up of only Russian players with far better line mates, but I’m pretty sure that if he played half as well as he did for Team Russia during the World Championships for the Penguins, we probably wouldn’t be debating whether or not Malkin is worthy of his $8.7 million cap hit, which, in my opinion, he wasn’t.
If Malkin wants to get paid the same amount as a Sidney Crosby, who, in my opinion, carried the Penguins on his back all throughout the regular season and during two rounds of the playoffs until the weight just became to much for any player, let alone one as talented and well-rounded as Crosby, to bear, he’s going to have to step up his game and prove to himself and everyone else why exactly he’s worthy of that kind of money in the first place. He played brilliantly in ‘08-’09, but unfortunately the world of professional sports is a ‘what-have-you-done-for-me-lately?’ kind of business, and lately Malkin hasn’t done enough to earn the salary he’s commanding.
I’m just reminded of the craziness I heard in the past when Geno was up and Sid a little down and people were saying “trade Sid, we don’t need him, we have Geno!”.
The Pens will be back.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Jun 10, 2010 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions
To say the least, I think trading either player at this point would be a bit premature to say the least. I think the Penguins would be foolish to trade a player with Malkin’s potential, but at the same time, to a good GM, there aren’t any players who are untouchable in terms of trade talk. It’s important to always keep an open mind.
Honestly, that situation was a little different than that one. I think people of influence (the media) saying that we should trade Geno is different than a few fans wondering if we should trade Crosby. I think a lot of that last year was a product of Sid always being painted as “the man,” not only of the Pens franchise, but of the league. So, when Geno goes out and has a monster season like he did, it leaves people saying “now, wait a minute..” you know what I mean? In reality, Sid had an 103 pt season (missing a few games), really came on at the end of the season and the playoffs, and placed a more than respectable 3rd in the league in scoring. This year with Geno, it didn’t feel like he had close to 80 points or that he was on pace for 94. I think part of that has to do with all the penalties he took. I mean, can anyone really think of a game where Geno truly put the team on his back? I can’t. I only come to the Sens game before Xmas, but everyone did well in that game.
I think when it comes to athletes that are this skilled and this talented, one intangible that they all have is pride. We all saw the way that Geno performed after he was heavily criticized for his play in the 08 SCF. Or how Sid won the Rocket after people said his shot wasn’t “dangerous enough” (which was honestly a fair assessment). I have no doubt that Geno will be much better this year….but, if he’s not, I think these crazy trade rumors will stop being so crazy.
I've told [a 9 months pregnant] Nathalie that she can't have the baby on a game night. I'm not missing a playoff game. -Mario Lemieux in 1993
I completely agree with you. I wondered where “that” Geno was, the one that showed up to the Worlds. The Pens sure could have used him in the Playoffs.
Crosby is simply an amazing player and has an incredible work ethic. If all those guys who suited up for the Pens had that we would not be having this discussion.
But I think the long summer rest will do them all a world of good.
And all of us will be anxious to see how Geno performs next season. How they all rebound and regroup. A fresh start.
I am waiting for October!
by PensFanInDenver on Jun 10, 2010 10:04 PM EDT up reply actions
They had all world players (Kovalchuk, Ovechkin, Semin, Malkin, Datsyuk, etc) intent on getting some measure of their sickening (to them) Olympic disaster and they failed to win.
Another disappointment for the Russian National team. They won what like 27 straight games in the Worlds? Not winning is a failure for them, on talent levels from them to the rest alone they ought to have won easily.
The Russians have an overwhelming sense of pride. When their country calls, they answer. Especially after the Olympics fiasco they wanted (and failed) to at least end things on a good note.
I think this is the only reason Malkin went to play for Russia.
Pittsburgh sports all the way
I agree with that also. All of the Pens have played a lot of hockey for the past three seasons {the ones that have been here for that time} and just that physical toll with the compressed schedule, the travel and the Olympics for the five Pens that went has to have an effect sooner or later. When Russia calls, though, you listen. Remember too, both Malkin and Gonchar also only played for part of the tournament too.
It's always a great day or night for hockey - no matter the time or place!
Did you like Geno a year ago when he led us to the Stanley Cup and hoisted the Conn Smythe?
by Mario's Mullet on Jun 11, 2010 7:24 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
MM – I’ve not read one person’s comments that suggest to trade Malkin right now. Many of us were let down and disappointed in his season this year, and were even more upset when his sub-par performance continued into the playoffs.
While he was an extremely valuable member to the team when we won the Stanley Cup, Malkin must be better than he was this year. If he does not return to form next year (and for the record, I think he will), the team can not continue to pay him $9 million a year in a salary cap league.
Pittsburgh sports all the way
Had we all been pessimists we could’ve been let down when he dislocated his shoulder in the preseason a few years back. We could’ve all just rolled our eyes and said, “Here we go again,” but there was nowhere to go but up. I don’t recall seeing any comments on this site getting behind the trade Malkin bandwagon though.
Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.
One thing you could also do to quantify the penalty problem, is that you could extrapolate the number of power plays given up by Geno taking penalties and use the PK percentage to see how many Goals-against his time in the box cost and use that in addition to the 4 points it cost him in contribution. Because at the end of the day, it’s not so much how many goals you have, it’s how many more goals you have.
Geno!
.
I have total faith that Malkin will come out with a strong 2010-11 season. Let’s keep in mind he is still a youngster. I’d like to see him improve his discipline and his face-offs. If he can avoid major injury, I expect he’ll be right back there contending for the Ross and even the Hart.
The Pens will be back.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Jun 10, 2010 10:55 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Thanks, GoPens! I was just checking out the photo Frank picked for his wrap up. I love it. Should be captioned “this is what it takes to slow Malkin down”.
The Pens will be back.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Jun 10, 2010 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions
No doubt we all expected more out of Geno this past year. For whatever reason he didnt meet the ridiculously high standards he set for himself so far. Theres no doubt in my mind Geno will have a bounce back year next year (PLAYING CENTER!!!!!!!!!!!), and again insert himself back into the best player debate.
We all expect more out of Geno. And he should deliever. He had a bad year, an off year, yes. Everyone is allowed that—but at what he is paid he cannot to afford to have another “average” or worse year; the Pens cannot afford that.
I think Geno partied too much last summer after they won the Cup and he paid for it, with his injury, not being in tip-top shape. Just my thoughts. I suppose we will never know.
by PensFanInDenver on Jun 10, 2010 12:05 PM EDT reply actions
And I just have to say, I never thought I would see the day Oscar Wilde was quoted on a hockey blog. Bravo, Frank.
You have to give props to Hooks for that one. It was his choice.
Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.
Yes, good quote. It could also apply to those incessant chants of “Crosby sucks”.
The Pens will be back.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Jun 10, 2010 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I initially wanted to go with, “Shoot everybody, everybody shoot.” – Evgeni Malkin, but felt using his quote in a post about him would’ve been a bit on the dumb side.
Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.
You guys are crazy
How can you even say Geno’s performance was lackluster?
Sure at time he wasn’t fully inspired to play thats due to his injury and having slim to none offeseason time. He’s still a kid man.
You guys are just basing your opinion that he had a “bad” season of false pretensions he was still a point per game player. He was only “bad” to his standards.
Its like saying Crosby had a bad year in 2007/2008 when he had 72pts (53gp) its crazy!
He was only "bad" to his standards.
Part of that standard comes from his $9 million dollar salary cap hit. Very few players in the league make that kind of money, so Ovechkin, Crosby and Malkin get to establish what is expected from those players. Malkin’s season this year was far below what is expected from a $9 million dollar player.
he was still a point per game player.
Part of being a player of Malkin’s caliber and salary involves much more than just scoring at a point per game rate. It involves doing well on faceoffs, playing good defense, being consistent on the ice, etc. Malkin did not excel at any of those aspects this year.
Pittsburgh sports all the way
Ya I completely understand that part he was horrible in those catergories. But the consensus on this page is that he only scored X amount of points and that we should trade him. C’mon hes about to be 24 one off season I’ll take it for his potential especially a year where injury and SC final lag kicked in which it did no doubt about that Crosby was right there with Malkin.
Why would you want to give up the 3rd best player in the NHL. NO thanks.
by Geno McFleury on Jun 12, 2010 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions
But the consensus on this page is that he only scored X amount of points and that we should trade him.
I don’t think there’s even a consensus in this thread, and certainly not one that we should trade Malkin. It seems to be mostly people who were frustrated with Malkin’s performance this year but who are also optimistic that he’ll return to form next year (which also happens to be my personal belief on the subject.
Pittsburgh sports all the way
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