Alternate destination revealed for Evgeni Malkin if Penguins don't sign him back

Apr 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; (Editors Notes: Caption Correction) Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) skates off the ice after loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Evgeni Malkin has made it clear he doesn't want to leave the Penguins. He wants to stay in Pittsburgh.

GM Kyle Dubas has suggested they're interested in bringing Malkin back, too.

But until anything is completed, the door is still open. Malkin could still leave. He has also made it clear he won't retire, and that he'd play elsewhere if needed.

One destination has emerged if Malkin does leave: the Minnesota Wild.

The Athletic's Michael Russo is one of the NHL's top beat reporters, so his word has to be taken with some serious credence. And he suggested in a recent article that Malkin and the Wild could be a quality match.

"If Malkin is willing to leave Pittsburgh and the Wild aren’t able to trade for a big-fish center, at least the future Hall of Famer would give them someone with a pulse at their biggest position of need," Russo wrote. "As we saw in their playoff series against Colorado, with Joel Eriksson Ek out, the Wild’s disadvantage up the middle killed them. Plus, Malkin can still score and is Kirill Kaprizov’s workout buddy."

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The Wild were a quality contender in the Western Conference this season but couldn't make it past the high-powered Colorado Avalanche.

Certainly, if Malkin was looking for a contender to join, Minnesota would fit the bill.

It'd obviously be weird to see him in a different uniform, but sometimes that's just what the market dictates.

Russo mentions the connection between Malkin and Kaprizov, which would almost certainly be a great draw for the veteran free agent center.

It still seems most likely that Malkin goes back to Pittsburgh. But if he doesn't, don't be surprised if the Wild are the team making the noise.

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