Malkin 100% Sure To Be In NHL, but....

Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins first round choice in the 03-04 NHL entry draft, has announced that he does intend to play in the NHL next season. However, the ultra talented forward who was selected immediately following countryman Alexander Ovechkin, is under contract with his hometown team of Metallurg Magnitogorsk through the 2008 season. In past seasons this would not have been a problem since the NHL negotiates a transfer agreement with the IIHF that allows players to go to the North American team that drafted them after said team pays a "transfer fee" to their European counterpart. The hitch is that when the new transfer agreement was signed following the NHL's labor dispute, Russia decided not to sign on. They felt that their players were worth more than the possible $900,000 they stood to make by sending a 1st round pick to North America.

Rumor had circulated that Malkin negotiated his own buyout clause before the season, but that does not seem to be the case. Metallurg Magnitogorsk seems intent on playing hardball with the Pittsburgh Penguins and won't even speculate on the fee until an initial offer is made. That does not seem to be something that is imminent considering that the Pens do not currently have a GM in place. The Russians are hoping for a major payday for Malkin, a multi-million dollar one. I feel that this situation will work itself out, especially if Russia decides to enter into the transfer agreement. It seems much more likely that they would consider working something out now that Vladislav Tretiak has been named president of the Russian Federation. Tretiak has ties to the NHL and seems committed to working on a transfer agreement. This could get ugly before it gets better, but hopefully Malkin will make his Pittsburgh debut when camp opens in September.