Sure it's a provocative blog title. I want you to read this. Read it twice if you need to. It is a provocative blog.
Funny thing about this time of year in the rumor game. Typically big stuff breaks, and oftentimes, it's stuff that certain fans, entire fanbases—and sometimes other bloggers and writers—don't want to hear.
Some rumors, especially the "outside the box" rumors that no one saw coming, or run contrary to "conventional wisdom," jar people out of the comfort zones of their own expectations—and they respond angrily, shooting the messenger.
Then "hockey journalists" rush to the airwaves to try to shoot the rumor down. Why? In at least some cases, I think it's a little professional jealousy, quite honestly. My experience is the guys who love to shoot rumors down are the ones who never have any of their own. As I often say, connect the dots.
In other cases, an allegedly involved GM will issue a denial through a "respected" journalist. As though GMs never issue denials when things are actually happening as reported. And I will provide a recent case in point—though we all know there are many.
As for this Malkin Thingie-Dingie.
My first inkling of this was a report by Eklund a couple of weeks ago that Malkin wanted out of Pittsburgh and would waive for Chicago or St. Louis.
Whoa.
My gut reaction was BULLS___. But hey, Ekllund's, ahhhh, my boss. AND, I also know that sometimes in the front offices, back rooms and in the actual lives of players, families and agents, truth can be stranger than fiction.
So, I like some other Blackhawk scribes, asked my best source—the guy who tipped me on the Vermette deal in 2015, and numerous accurate things last year, among many others.
He sort of scoffed and said, "no, they're not after Malkin." And I reported that on my message board thread.
And that was that.
Until yesterday, when a hockey writer for New York Newsday, Steve Zipay (who I had not even heard of at that point), reported that the Hawks were, in fact, kicking the tires with the Penguins on Malkin.
Immediately after, Michael Grosso, of @RumorBreak, tweeted that he had checked the story out with his sources, and it was valid. I do know Michael. His material is usually legitimate.
As I always do, I shared only what I heard and trusted from a good source—and I commented on my message board at that time, around 2PM Eastern yesterday, that I had heard the rumor was bogus.
And then a funny thing happened. The (proven good) source, who'd originally told me there was nothing to the rumor, got in touch with me. To his surprise, the Hawks had reached out to the Penguins on Malkin and were discussing some names, including Artem Anisimov and Marcus Kruger.
Then I tweeted it, and as far as my world, all hell broke loose. I ended up having to block about a half dozen Penguin fans, respond, clarify, etc.
Meanwhile, my source contacted me two more times, yesterday, providing some more detail.
Then the denials started coming out. First bloggers and writers. Then Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie.
First, I respect Bob Mckenzie—for what he does. But he's not God. Nor or all 30 NHL GMs required to register every conversation they have—or don't have—with him. They're not. So the mantra that goes "Mckenzie says it's not legit (or is legit) and you have to believe that" is silly. Please.
He has some insights on the game; he does speak to some executives. I also believe he has very little daily insight on or access to the Chicago Blackhawks specifically. Hey, Bob has 30 teams to cover; he lives in Toronto. And there are sources out there who share, with me and others, who might be closer to Stan Bowman day to day—with all due respect.
GMs also issue denials all the time. Even when, or often when, what they are denying is absolutely true—but they don't want the press and fans upsetting the apple cart of ongoing discussions around a star player—or they want to make the other team think twice.
Just one recent case in point, which Jim Rutherford's subsequent denial re: Malkin yesterday reminded me of, one year ago: Dallas GM Jim Nill said to a "respected" member of the hockey media: "we have no interest in Patrick Sharp."
Aaaaand how did THAT work out?
Right.
So.
Zipay still stands behind his story and his source.
Grosso does.
And so do I.
And admittedly, the logistics and dollars and names involved don't make a ton of sense. They don't!
As far as what the public knows.
But let's wargame it out for a second.
The rumor has been all along, right or wrong, that Malkin wants out. Would that be the first time a star player wanted to leave a great team? No.
As to why he would, your guess is literally as good as mine. I think it's no secret that the Hawks are my focus. I have some interest in the Blue Jackets, Jets and Blues, but beyond that, I really don't know much about the personal lives or dressing room dynamics of players of other teams.
A Pittsburgh fan, of all people, suggested to me yesterday that it could be Malkin's wife wants out of Pittsburgh.
OK, right or wrong, that's certainly plausible. And please, don't tell me about his baby or the house he recently built. That may all be why he intends to stay in Pittsburgh. I would suggest though, unless you're Malkin, his wife, or his agent—you don't really know either.
Ya just don't.
So if you're the Blackhawks, and Malkin has, in fact, suggested he'd like a move and Chicago is place he would waive for—why would you NOT reach out to the Pens—a team and a GM you have traded with many teams and recently—and say: so what's going on? Do you want to move Geno? What would it take?
Sure, the cap is complicated and restrictive, but this is a superstar player, and you can send salary the other way.
Seems entirely plausible to me. And that was all that was reported—independently by three separate sources in three separate cities yesterday. A conversation about Malkin, initiated by the Blackhawks.
Beyond that, in Chicago, the last several summers' sports news cycles have been dominated by the Chicago Blackhawks. Long playoff runs, Stanley Cups, parades. But not this summer. What little hockey news has been out there has not been that popularly received.
Team President John McDonough loves publicity for his team and its brand. Good publicity. From his days as President of the Cubs through the Brian Campbell signing in 2008, Marian Hossa in 2009 right up to now—he has always loved the big, splashy free agent signing or trade.
So sure, the Hawks/Malkin story could just be a big balloon of a falsehood pushed out there to garner publicity. That also, is plausible. I just find it odd, if that were the case, that reporters in Philadelphia (Eklund), New York (Zipay), and Toronto (Grosso) would then have it before anyone in Chicago.
Al Cimaglia, who I have a great deal of respect for commented on my thread yesterday that there's enough smoke here to suggest that Malkin might want out of Pittsburgh—and that there is so much back-end machination to hockey deals (players, families, agents, endorsements, money), it is almost impossible for anyone—including "respected hockey journalists"—to get the whole story before it comes out.
And then there's the (pretty much) fact that GMs will deny and deny a deal—until it happens.
The final thing about this Malkin thing is—why him? Why the Blackhawks? And why doesn't the rumor die?
I mean why have we not also heard the Hawks are after Ovechkin, or Jamie Benn, or Gabriel Landeskog? I mean, that's just as (or maybe not as) crazy, right?
No, we're hearing about a particular 31 year old superstar making $9.5 million per, coming off a Stanley Cup win. And it keeps bubbling up as a rumor over and over again, and all over the place.
As a couple of other smart people commented to me yesterday, and I thought myself, it almost feels like there's a back-story here that very few people know.
And maybe not. Maybe it's all coincidence and a rumor out of control.
But I will just share, for perspective sake:
In 2009, I suggested (then later reported) here before anyone else that the Hawks would part ways with Marty Havlat and sign Marian Hossa. I was ridiculed for it. Until they did it.
In 2011, I reported before anyone else that Patrick Kane needed wrist surgery. I was ridiculed for it. Until it happened.
There have a been a couple of other less glaring examples of the same phenomenon—but they all get at the same thing—a rumor that, on the surface, seems implausible based on what the conventional public wisdom is. Like the Malkin rumor yesterday.
And hey, I have been wrong on a couple too. I was assured by a source in 2011 (or 2012, I forget) that Mike Haviland had the head coaching positioning in Winnipeg locked up—before Claude Noel got the job. I apologized here. Just a bad tip from someone I don't use as a source anymore.
Last year, I was assured, as were many others, the Hawks were close on a deal with Brandon Saad—before he was traded. Again. sometimes, the sources get bad info. or situations change rapidly. Doesn't matter, I went out with some wrong information.
Could the information re: the Hawks, the Pens and Malkin yesterday also be completely wrong?
I have learned doing this, especially with regard to the ups and downs of my track record, to trust a good source when I have one.
So I believe the conversation as reported took place. Where it went or where it might still go is anyone's guess—certainly the logistics and surface details would suggest, not far.
But GMs will talk, even if fans (and some journalists) aren't prepared to hear it.
Cheers, everybody.
JJ
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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