Evgeni Malkin had a different path on the table this summer, even if he ended up staying put.
According to KHL Metallurg Director Alexei Zhloba, the club hoped to bring the 40-year-old back for the upcoming season. Zhloba told Championnat’s Vladimir Lavesky that Metallurg was interested in a return, and he added that he remains in contact with Malkin. That leaves the door open for another run at him down the line, with Zhloba suggesting they could try again for the 2027-28 campaign.
Malkin chose a new one-year deal with the Penguins in May instead. He posted 61 points in 56 games last season and earned $5.5MM in guaranteed money, plus another $3.5MM in performance bonuses.
Elsewhere around the Metropolitan, Rangers prospect center Cole Beaudoin is day-to-day after suffering an undisclosed injury in yesterday’s rookie tournament game, according to Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic.
The 20-year-old was a first-round pick by Utah two years ago and came to New York as part of the Vincent Trocheck deal this summer. He still has an outside shot at forcing his way onto the Rangers’ roster in training camp, but any missed time makes that harder.
If he doesn’t crack the big club, Beaudoin is expected to play a major role with AHL Hartford in his first pro season after piling up 88 points in 54 games for OHL Barrie last year.
Islanders prospect winger Quinn Finley is also in rookie camp, but he has not yet been cleared for contact as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery, per Newsday’s Andrew Gross. Finley, 22, was a third-round pick in 2022 and is preparing for his first professional season after three productive years at the University of Wisconsin. He finished last season with 17 goals and 16 assists in 37 games for the Badgers and is expected to begin the fall with AHL Hamilton.
In Other News...
Former Rangers Defenseman Just Landed In An Awkward Metro Spot
Carson Soucy is headed to a familiar corner of the Metro, this time on a professional tryout with the Columbus Blue Jackets as he prepares for another training camp look. A veteran of seven NHL seasons, Soucy spent last season bouncing between the Rangers and Islanders, and now hell try to turn a PTO into a roster spot in Columbus.
For the Blue Jackets, the fit is fairly straightforward: Soucy is expected to compete for work on the third defensive pair or as the seventh defenseman. For the Rangers, it is another reminder of how quickly the defense market can shift within the division, especially when a player with Soucys experience is still in the mix and still looking for a landing spot. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Rookie Weekend Raised One Big Question About Their Young Talent
Liam Greentree got one of the weekends few bright spots for the Rangers prospects in Allentown, scoring his first goal in a New York sweater during a 4-1 loss to the Flyers at PPL Center. The rookie series had already tilted Philadelphias way after a 3-2 result on Saturday, and the two-game sweep left the Rangers looking for more finish and more consistency from a young group that had stretches of promise but not enough to change the outcome.
Danai Shaiikov gave them a chance to hang around in goal, turning in a solid outing with several key stops even as the Flyers kept the pressure on. For a weekend meant to sort through the organizations young talent, Greentrees breakthrough and Shaiikovs work in net offered some encouraging pieces, but the bigger question remains how many of those flashes can carry over once the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Cole Beaudoin Just Turned Into A Real Rangers Camp Battle
Cole Beaudoin is one of the more intriguing young names around Rangers camp this fall, a player arriving with a fresh start and a clear goal. Acquired from Utah in a July 1 trade tied to Vincent Trocheck, Beaudoin is still at the point where every practice and preseason shift matters, especially as he prepares to launch his pro career after two seasons with the Barrie Colts in the OHL.
For the Rangers, the question is less about whether Beaudoin has long-term potential and more about where he fits right now in a crowded competition. He is trying to win an NHL job out of camp, but the more realistic path may begin with Hartford in the AHL, where he would get the kind of minutes and development time that are hard to guarantee at the big-league level. [Read more 🡒]