Is Evgeni Malkin poised for another big season?
By Matt Shetler
With the NHL Lockout now in the books, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and every other NHL team for that matter, must gear up quickly and get ready to start the season in about 10 days.
While players with every team have been getting together and holding unofficial workouts for months now, it doesn’t replace game action so there will be some rust to kick off the tires.
Mar 30, 2012; Buffalo, NY, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) before the game against the Buffalo Sabres at the First Niagara Center. Penguins beat the Sabres 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
However the Pens may have an advantage with one of their superstars already in midseason form.
Anytime you have Evgeni Malkin on your roster then you have an advantage over pretty much every other team in the NHL to begin with, but Malkin has the chance to get off to a quick start to the 2013 season. With it being a shortened season, having a player that can dominate from the beginning will be huge.
Malkin may have a leg up on everyone else because he has been tearing up the KHL while most of the NHL players have been sitting by and waiting for the lockout to come to an end.
Geno didn’t miss a beat from his Hart Trophy-winning season during his KHL stint, so Pittsburgh Penguins fans have a right to be excited. Malkin racked up 65 points in just 37 games, so he will be entering the NHL season clicking.
Sure it is a different league and he will be playing with different players, but anytime you have Malkin playing well then you have the chance to be very successful.
It sure will be interesting to see how the KHL results translate to the NHL product, but knowing Geno, he is poised to have himself another big season in a Penguins uniform.