Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin may have won his second NHL Art Ross award as top regular-season point scorer, but there is room for improvement, former Chicago Blackhawks captain Alexei Zhamnov told RIA Novosti on Sunday.
Malkin racked up 109 points and broke the 50-goal barrier for the first time with a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
“I think that for Malkin this isn’t the limit. He should progress further,” Zhamnov said.
“Malkin has shown that he is a top-class player and he’s not considered one of the best in the league for nothing.”
The way Malkin marshaled the Penguins while captain Sidney Crosby was injured this season showcased his leadership skills, Zhamnov said.
“At the time when Crosby missed a lot of games due to injuries, Malkin took over the leadership. He proved that he can lead a team.”
Malkin’s Penguins will face the Flyers in the first round of the playoffs, which start Wednesday.
In his first NHL season in 2006-7, Malkin made an immediate impact with a goal in each of his first six games and was named rookie of the year, before helping the Penguins to the 2009 Stanley Cup.
Zhamnov spent 13 seasons in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets, the Blackhawks, the Flyers and the Boston Bruins before retiring in 2005.
He is now general manager of Russian team Vityaz Chekhov, which finished last in the KHL standings this season.
