Just how much has the injured Evgeni Malkin meant to fantasy teams this season?

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been one of the NHL’s top teams for quite some time now and this season is no different. Though they’ve been in a bit of a funk lately, they have largely been one of the best teams in the league when healthy. With 46 wins and 103 points, the Penguins are only one of four teams to have over 100 points and a goal differential above +40. But that’s when they’re healthy. The Penguins seem to have a knack for getting injured, and nowhere is this best epitomized than in Evgeni Malkin. No doubt a star center, Malkin is one of the best players in the game when on the ice. However, throughout his whole career he’s had trouble staying on the ice, negatively impacting his fantasy hockey value amongst the fantasy community. But even though he’s been hurt yet again this year, what sort of value does he provide when healthy?

Using our Fantasy Hockey Geek Tool, we can see. For our sample league, we’ll be using an average 12-team H2H Yahoo league measuring G, A, PPP, SOG, Hits, W, SV%, GAA, and SO with this season’s stats.
 

Despite missing over 14 games this year, Malkin has still tallied 33 goals and 39 assists. Tied for the 10^th most goals in the league, Malkin has as many goals as Alex Ovechkin in 14 fewer games. And while Malkin’s assist totals aren’t as impressive (tied for the 30^th most), they’re still very good. All together, Malkin is tied for the ninth-most points in the league with 72 and is fourth in the NHL with a 1.16 point-per-game scoring pace.

Malkin’s peripherals are also pretty good as he is averaging about 3.08 shots per game. His 191 shots place him 55^th in the league, but the games he lost hurt his totals, as his shots per game rate is the 24^th best in in the NHL. His power-play points are also fantastic, considering his 22 combined power-play points rank 25^th overall in the league. His 40 hits aren’t great, but that’s really the only category that you can say Malkin underperforms in. So what if we took out hits in our sample league and replaced it with a similar category like penalty minutes?
 

When we swap hits with penalty minutes, Malkin’s value skyrockets, sending him into the top-20 most valuable skaters. His 77 penalty minutes are extraordinary for a forward of his caliber, as he has the 28^th most penalty minutes in the NHL. Out of the top 20 forwards in this sample league, Malkin has the third-most penalty minutes, behind only Dustin Byfuglien and Wayne Simmonds.

But what if your league doesn’t count either penalty minutes or hits? What if it counts more traditional categories like plus/minus? Well, Malkin does just as well there too.
 

His value takes a bit of a hit when taking out penalty minutes for plus/minus, but it’s still even better than the standard league that counts hits. Ranked 29^th out of all skaters, Malkin still provides tons of value, ahead of forwards like Jamie Benn and John Tavares. His +18 rating is tied for the 35^th best in the league and, among players with over 40 points, is 14^th best.

Despite his injury troubles, Malkin is still a top forward in the league and provides tremendous value. It’s hard to expect getting a full 82 games out of him, but when he’s healthy, he can pile up the points like the rest of the stars in the league.

To identify more players with great value in your specific league settings, check out Fantasy Hockey Geek to generate custom rankings tailored for you. With the Season Toolkit, you can use our advanced tools to manage to the top and take down the title. Head to the Dobber Sports Shop and pick it up today!