Evgeni Malkin for Eric Staal trade is possible, according to Stan Fischler

So the venerable Stan Fischler decided to take a look at the Pittsburgh Penguins in his latest “One Timers” column for The Hockey News. 

And it went a little something like this:

No matter how you shake it Sidney Crosby has become a curious subject for study in Pittsburgh. His slow scoring start was enough to raise eyebrows through the season’s first quarter although Sid seems to be back on track. What’s troublesome are reports of a feud with his former landlord and boss Mario Lemieux. That has created more negative vibes than the Penguins need.

Both Crosby and Lemieux were emphatic in denying a rift between them, although without a photo showing them sharing a bottle of Cabernet in Mario’s basement/Sid’s former bedroom, we’re not sure if they can ever establish there’s no heat.

The venerable Stan Fischler then decided to put on his GM fedora, and came up with this little ditty:

The captain remains an untouchable, but it seems more and more likely that Evgeni Malkin will be GM Jim Rutherford’s best chip to play in the trading sweepstakes.

Please note that this column was published on Monday, during a stretch in which Malkin has been practically super human for the Penguins. On the one hand, discussing a Malkin trade now would be a case study in bad timing; on the other, his value is super high!

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Which brings us to this, from the venerable Stan Fischler:

The deal I can see — Malkin to Carolina for Eric Staal.

So Stan can see a trade that:

A. Involves one player who is 29 and signed through 2022 for another that’s 31 and signed through next summer.

B. Involves one player with a No Move Clause for another with a No Trade Clause.

C. Involves the Penguins trading away their best asset for a lesser center, rather than for a collection of players that would fill the gaping holes in their lineup, beginning with their blueline.

D. Involves THE PENGUINS TRADING EVGENI MALKIN FOR ERIC STAAL.

So, in summary, we’re left with just one question: What’s Stan’s HF Boards user name?

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.