Evgeni Malkin

Full name: Evgeni Vladimirovich Malkin
Team: Pittsburgh Penguins
Number: 71
Position: Center
Height: 6’3”/191 cm
Weight: 195 lbs/88 kg
Shoots: Left
Born: July 31, 1986 in Magnitogorsk, RUS
Drafted: Selected by Pittsburgh Penguins in 1st round (2nd overall) of the 2004 Entry Draft

Strengths: Malkin is already one of the most productive all-around center-forwards in the NHL. His elite combination of skill and size has drawn comparisons to Mario Lemieux and Mats Sundin. In international competition, he is a proven natural leader for Russia.

Weaknesses: Malkin at times can disappear in games, but this is becoming increasingly rare. Malkin does not shy away from the physical part of the game, but he has become injury prone in the last few years and has missed significant time.

Biography: In such a young hockey career, Evgeni “Geno” Malkin has already become a leader in the Russian Superleague, in the NHL, and at the international level. While growing up, Evgeni was fortunate to have a hockey-playing father, Vladimir. Unsurprisingly, Evgeni followed in his father’s footsteps and also made it to the hometown Superleague team. In his three seasons with Metallurg, Malkin transformed into a first-line power center. In 2005 Evgeni was chosen as the second overall pick in the NHL draft (only behind Alexander Ovechkin). Remaining in Russia, Malkin was the only point-per-game player in 2005-06, despite not winning the scoring title. Unfortunately for Evgeni, Metallurg couldn’t win the championship while he was there. But he was so valued that his team did whatever it could to avoid his leave to the NHL. Malkin was persuaded to sign a $4 million contract for another year in Magnitogorsk, but during training camp in Helsinki Malkin quietly left his team to meet up with his agent and fly to North America. Such action drew similarities to the defections of Fedorov and Mogilny fifteen years earlier, but it was really a result of a lack of a proper transfer agreement between Russia and the NHL. In Pittsburgh, Malkin was a key factor in making the Penguins a playoff team. He started the season with 7 goals in his first 6 games! Like Ovechkin a year earlier, Malkin won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. In his second season, Malkin finished second in NHL scoring and first the next year, claiming the Art Ross Trophy. Malkin was also nominated for the Hart Trophy. In the 2009 playoffs, Malkin put up 36 points in 24 games to lead the Penguins to a Stanley Cup victory over the Detroit Red Wings. “Geno” became the first Russian to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP, making a strong case that he is not any worse a hockey player than fellow superstars Ovechkin and teammate Sydney Crosby. After two injury-prone seasons, Malkin returned to dominate the NHL in 2011-12, finishing with 50 goals for the first time and once again leading the league in scoring. In 2012 Malkin also collected his first Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and the Ted Lindsay Award as the best player as voted by players themselves. The Penguins’ early playoff elimination allowed Evgeni to join Russia at the World Championship in 2012. Playing on a line with Avangard Omsk wingers Alex Popov and Alex Perezhogin, Malkin put in one of the most spectacular offensive performances in World Championship history, scoring 11 goals and 19 points, including two hattricks. Russia won the tournament with ease and Malkin won not only his first gold medal but also the tournament MVP prize. For the duration of the NHL lockout in 2012-13, Evgeni returned to his hometown Magnitogorsk with fellow NHLers Nikolai Kulemin and Sergei Gonchar to play for Metallurg. Malkin continued his torrid scoring pace in the KHL, where he finished 3rd in points despite leaving back to the NHL in the middle of the season.

Club Stats:

Season	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM
2003-04	Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk (RHL-3)	2	1	0	1		8
2003-04	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	34	3	9	12		12
2004-05	Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk (RHL-3)	2	1	1	2		2
2004-05	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	52	12	20	32		24
2005-06	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	46	21	26	47		46
2006-07	Pittsburgh	78	33	52	85	+2	80
2007-08	Pittsburgh	82	47	59	106	+16	78
2008-09	Pittsburgh	82	35	78	113	+17	80
2009-10	Pittsburgh	67	28	49	77	-6	100
2010-11	Pittsburgh	43	15	22	37	-4	18
2011-12	Pittsburgh	75	50	59	109	+18	70
2012-13	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	37	23	42	65	+23	58
2012-13	Pittsburgh	31	9	24	33	+5	36

Totals	RHL/KHL Reg. Season	169	59	97	156		140
Totals	RHL Playoffs	16	5	14	19		41
Totals	NHL Reg. Season	458	217	343	560	+48	462
Totals	NHL Playoffs	83	36	61	97	+2	121

National Team Stats:

Year	Tournament	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
2003	World Juniors U18	6	5	4	9	2
2004	World Juniors U18	6	4	4	8	31
2004	World Juniors U20	6	1	4	5	0
2005	World Juniors U20	6	3	7	10	16
2005	World Championship	9	0	4	4	8
2006	World Juniors U20	6	4	6	10	12
2006	Olympic Games	7	2	4	6	31
2006	World Championship	7	3	6	9	6
2007	World Championship	9	5	5	10	6
2010	Olympic Games	4	3	3	6	0
2010	World Championship	5	5	2	7	10
2012	World Championship	10	11	8	19	4

Totals	U18 Level	12	9	8	17	33
Totals	U20 Level	18	8	17	25	28
Totals	Senior Level	51	29	32	61	65