2 Analysts Suggest The 'Obvious' Replacement For Barkov for Panthers

Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers, kneels on ice after injury

The Florida Panthers are in a bind. Already without Matthew Tkachuk for about half the season, they've now learned that their captain and leader, Aleksander Barkov, will be out for the entire season after suffering a knee injury in practice.

How to fill that gaping hole at center? Insider Greg Wyshynski, speaking with Jeff Marek on The Sheet podcast, has suggested a certain Pittsburgh Penguin—no, not that one—makes just too much sense for the Panthers not to think about it.

I think the obvious answer is you trade for Geno (Evgeni) Malkin at some point. (He's) on an expiring contract and on a team that is dying to turn him into assets.

The Penguins are in a full-on rebuild, looking to accumulate young talent and draft picks.

Malkin is going into the final season of a four-year contract with a $6.1 million cap hit. He has a full no-move clause, but he already hinted that he just might be willing to consider waiving it for the right situation:

Malkin himself admitted to the media when camp opened a week-and-a-half ago that he spent the spring and summer looking longingly at the Brad Marchand move to the Florida Panthers last spring that ended with the lifelong Boston Bruin hoisting the Stanley Cup in South Florida.

"We see a story, like, with Brad Marchand. Looking good, you know?" said Malkin with a smile on his face after he was asked about whether he'd consider waiving his no-move this season.

Malkin has spent his entire 19-year career with the Penguins and with Sidney Crosby, and has won three Stanley Cups. Maybe a shot at a 4th one with the Panthers in perhaps his final NHL season will be very intriguing to the 39-year-old.

"Convincing him to go to Miami, where (his countryman Sergei) Bobrovsky is, and play out the rest of the season with a chance to maybe win another Cup, is probably the most convincing argument you can make for Evgeni Malkin to not retire a Penguin," added Wyshynski.

Dan Powers of the Empty Netters podcast threw out the same opinion.

If Barkov’s injury is, in fact, long term. A trade for Evgeni Malkin makes a hell of a lot of sense for Florida 👀
— Dan Powers (@Dan_Powers_) September 26, 2025

Malkin lining up with Marchand and the Panthers? We might have to wait a bit for something like that to take place, but it's certainly worth keeping an eye on as we get into the season.