Madden reveals who the Pens should've signed instead of Malkin last summer

When Fenway Sports Group took over they did not want to rock the boat too much and not sign a fan favorite like Evgeni Malkin. They had the chance to sign a Pittsburgh native from Upper St. Clair, but passed.

Since then, Vincent Trocheck has been showing everyone watching the playoffs what the Penguins missed out on.

Trocheck is 30 years old, much younger than Malkin. He had 77 points last season to Malkin's 67 points. With 7 more years than Malkin in the tank, he would have been a great addition to Pittsburgh.

He is much better defensively, on faceoffs and makes less mistakes.

If the Penguins did have Trocheck, it may not have made any difference this season. They did not have the rest of the tools needed to go into the playoffs and contend. But he would have been a great start to something the Penguins could have built on.

Penguins fans like the nostalgia of the team. Malkin, Crosby and Letang, all want to remain Penguins and everyone wants to see them retire as Penguins. The proof is still in the ticket sales, with the team playing to 94.7% capacity at home during the 2023-24 season.

Trocheck is the type of player that excels in the playoffs when the stars can sometimes disappear. Not to say he is the new Max Talbot, but he is showing up at the right time when Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad seem to not be.

If Pens fans want the nostalgia, it seems to sell and that could be the main reason the Fenway Sports Group has no issues handcuffing Dubas from major shake ups.

As Read On: Trib Live -
Mark Madden: Penguins missed opportunity to sign Rangers catalyst Vincent Trocheck