Ice and Fire: Debunking the Rumor Mill

Evgeni Malkin is still good at hockey.

The NHL rumor machine hit full bore this past week with talk of a rift in Pittsburgh between Sidney Crosby and Pens legend (and owner) Mario Lemieux. The rumor originated from an interview that current NBC Sports analyst and former Pen Matthew Barnaby gave Sirius XM and was quickly quashed by both parties.

As usual when issues occur in the Steel City, the talk turns to the possibility of trading Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. First off: The Pens will never trade Crosby.

Second: The haul going back to Pittsburgh in a trade involving Malkin would have to make the Phil Kessel trade from Boston look like a waiver claim. Malkin is not without his flaws, but he's outscoring Crosby this season, and every few games, he reminds people of his capability for dominance. Just ask Edmonton.

In addition to this beauty, Malkin scored the other Pittsburgh goal in what ended up a 3-2 shootout win.

The idea of trading Malkin doesn't seem logical. Two fives don't equal a 10. Remember the players who went to Boston in the Joe Thornton trade to San Jose in 2005? Wayne Primeau, Marco Sturm and Brad Stuart.

For Pittsburgh to even consider trading Malkin, the Kessel-to-Toronto deal of 2009 is a good starting point: two straight first-round picks and a second-rounder. Add in another NHL-ready player and a budding star, and maybe there could be a deal.

(Fun fact: Boston used those consecutive first-round picks on Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton, neither of whom is still on the Bruins. It's also fun to add the names Seguin and Hamilton to Scott Niedermayer as players the Maple Leafs could have drafted. Cough Tom Kurvers cough.)

To say that Malkin can be enigmatic is a slight to the man's prodigious talent. That's also a descriptor reserved by the Canadian media for Russians who could never be the player Jonathan Toews is. Malkin can disappear for games at a time, but he's been seriously picking up the pace of late, riding a six-game stretch that has seen him compile seven goals and 10 total points. Before that, he'd gone without a goal for seven games, with just two assists in that span.

Geno was rather outspoken following a shutout loss to New Jersey on Nov. 14, but has responded wonderfully. Expect rumors to continue to swirl around Malkin, but a trade is unlikely if the Penguins know what's good for them.

Quarter-Pole Reactions

Nick Foligno, Columbus: Where is the Columbus captain? Remember, Foligno signed his large contract extension during the middle of his career year last winter and proceeded to have a monster season with 31 goals and 73 points. After bagging a goal and three assists in the season's first five games, Foligno's struggles have been indicative of the Jackets' issues on a whole. The Buffalo native has been invisible, with just six assists in the other 20 tilts and three of those helpers in the last 10 days. If there ever was a legitimate buy-low candidate, Foligno is it. True, the Jackets won't score a ton under John Tortorella, but Foligno is still seeing steady power-play time with Ryan Johansen and Brandon Saad.

Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida: Count me among those who pegged Huberdeau as a player ticketed to make the jump this season. A former Calder Trophy winner, Huberdeau finished last season on a strong note for the Panthers and had everything in place to make this a breakout campaign. It hasn't happened. Yet. One goal and 12 assists through 23 games are the only points Huberdeau owns this season.

It's not for lack of opportunity, as Huberdeau is seeing 2:46 on the power play and is logging over 18:30 on average per tilt. The numbers on the whole look woeful, but Huberdeau has been rather productive of late with five assists in the last seven games and nine points in the last 12. Still just 22, Huberdeau has the talent and skill to erase that forgettable month of October.

His assist on Brian Campbell's game-winning goal Sunday showed some nice vision on an odd-man rush. The Panthers are a feisty team, and Huberdeau is one of their top offensive options. Expect the numbers from the last three weeks to continue.

Patrick Kane, Chicago: Kane is in the midst of his best offensive season, Kane can be considered a steal after he slipped in this year's drafts, as he stretched his point streak to 19 games Saturday. His off-ice issues from this past summer bled over into the preseason, and there was uncertainty over whether legal action would be pursued against the Buffalo native, making him a gamble on draft day. Kane has meshed remarkably well with rookie Artemi Panarin, and his 37 points through 24 games are remarkable. His offensive skills continue to grow.

Moore or Less

New Jersey blueliner John Moore is playing for his third team in the last half season after he was traded from the Rangers to Phoenix in the Keith Yandle deal last February. The Coyotes didn't keep him, and the Devils snatched him up as a free agent. Moore has a less-than-stellar six points on the season, but could be the long-term play on New Jersey's blue line. He scored the game-winning overtime goal Saturday against Montreal and added an assist as well.

He's just someone to keep an eye on at this point, as Moore's been rather underwhelming offensively during his career, but he has some potential. Again, six points won't send owners running to the waiver wire, but Moore is in a good situation and has seen his power-play time drastically increase this past week.

The Devils are playing several teams this week that abhor defense: Colorado and Carolina, to name two. In ridiculously deep leagues, don't be afraid to use Moore as a spot start, but it's worth keeping tabs on his power-play minutes.