Point Blank: It's time for Evgeni Malkin to be removed from Penguins' top power-play unit

Evgeni Malkin — Photo via GETTY

The issues with the Penguins’ power play this season run much deeper than any player could be singularly responsible for.

It is rotten to its core.

Everyone involved is responsible. The players are either failing to execute what Todd Reirden is drawing up for them, or they’re going rogue. Either way, that’s a massive problem that reflects poorly on Reirden.

And let’s not pretend Mike Sullivan is idly standing by with his hands in the air when it comes to the power play, even if Reirden’s name is stamped on the operation. He, too, is responsible.

It’s really starting to seem as if the players, coaching staff and front office all — erroneously — assumed that Erik Karlsson’s presence would magically put the power play back among the league’s best. Heck, it seems like they’re still holding out hope. (Perhaps they should’ve read this piece I wrote in August that warned it wouldn’t be so simple.)

If this thing’s truly going to get fixed, egos need to be put aside. Nothing should be off the table at this juncture. Nothing. And that shouldn’t be controversial. This is the league’s second-worst power play we’re talking about here!

I can’t profess to having all the answers on how to get this ship sailing in the right direction, but I’d start by removing Evgeni Malkin from the top unit.