On the heals of tonight’s seven games, comes the question that is on many NHL hockey fans and fantasy hockey owners minds. Will Evgeni Malkin contend or possibly win the NHL’s Most Valuable Player? Coming off a season where he scored 47 goals and 106 points, Evgeni Malkin has become the go to guy in Pittsburgh. With Sidney Crosby injured for a portion of the season last year, Malkin thrust himself into the spotlight and carried Pittsburgh to the playoffs. For fantasy hockey owners, Malkin is a multiple threat, contributing in all categories including penalty minutes, where he has average 79 PIM’s over his first two seasons.

Currently, Evgeni Malkin leads the NHL with 14 points, holds a plus minus of +6 and 8 of his total point total are on the powerplay. In Malkin you find a unique and worldly talent, who will NEVER be in the shadow of uber-talented Sidney Crosby. The one-two punch of Crosby and Malkin bring back fond memories of 90’s Pittsburgh with Lemeiux and Jagr, which might have been the best one-two combination in NHL history. Crosby and Malkin are part of the “NEW” NHL and will never play second fiddle to Lemeiux and Jagr. The game has changed drastically since Jagr and Lemeiux graced the ice in Pittsburgh and in Malkin and Crosby we find two entirely different styles than Lemeiux and Jagr. The main difference being the sheer size of Mario Lemeiux and Jaromir Jagr. Both listed well over 6′3 and 230 pounds, while Crosby is 5′11 200 and Malkin is 6′3 195. Malkin does not play light, and although he is listed at 195 pounds, we plays like he’s 230. He’s nearly impossible to knock off the puck and throws his weight around. His game is built for the new NHL.

Will Malkin contend for the MVP? He will be either one or two in the voting this year and will finish ahead of his counter part Sidney Crosby. With Alexander Ovechkin missing time due to being at the side of his ailing grandfather, Malkin is the undeniable front-runner for the NHL MVP award. It will be hard for Malkin to obtain the proper notoriety because he does play with Crosby, but he is well-deserving and might just pull off the unthinkable—–winning the NHL MVP over Crosby and carving a legend niche for himself.