The Florida Panthers' hopes for a Stanley Cup three-peat were dealt a significant blow last week when captain Aleksander Barkov suffered a serious knee injury during training camp.
Barkov is expected to miss the entire regular season, and there's no certainty he'll return for the playoffs.
Barkov's injury generated conjecture over how the Panthers intend to replace him. With their captain out for the season and left winger Matthew Tkachuk sidelined until December or January, they have plenty of cap flexibility once both players are placed on long-term injured reserve to bolster their roster.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now's Dan Kingerski cited a rumor circulating that suggested the Panthers target Evgeni Malkin. The 39-year-old center is eligible for UFA status next summer.
Kingerski debunked that rumor, pointing out that it was tied to comments made by Malkin that were misunderstood when he was asked if he would consider a trade this year. He mentioned Brad Marchand's trade to the Panthers last season worked out for the former Boston Bruins captain, but he didn't know how he would react if the Penguins attempted to move him.
If Malkin were willing to accept a trade, Kingerski believed the Panthers could be a good fit.
For now, the Panthers intend to look to within their roster and their system to offset Barkov's absence. If they do go the trade route at some point, they might have younger targets than Malkin in mind, preferably someone who plays a solid two-way game like Barkov.
Like Sidney Crosby, Malkin Deserves To End Career On His Terms
There are certainly a lot of stories coming out of <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' training camp in 2025, even if the pre-season is still in its infancy.
In Chicago, Blackhawks left winger Lukas Reichel was the subject of recent trade speculation. On Sept. 7, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reported Reichel thought he would be traded to the Edmonton Oilers at one point during the summer.
Chosen in the first round of the 2020 draft, Reichel has struggled to establish himself as a top-six winger. On Sept. 11, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said it was understood that the Blackhawks could move the 23-year-old if they found a suitable trade partner. He added that Reichel understood it might be time for a chance.
On Monday, Scott Powers of The Athletic reported the Blackhawks had informed teams that Reichel is available. However, he isn't certain if the young forward will be traded, demoted or remain on the roster when the season opens next week.
In the past, the rebuilding Blackhawks could afford to be patient with Reichel's development. However, with several promising youngsters in their deep prospect pool pushing for NHL spots, it may be time to move him to a club where he'll have a second chance to reach his potential.
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