The Kings captain is not an untouchable, and it seems more and more likely that Dustin Brown will be GM Dean Lombardi's best chip to play in the trading sweepstakes. The deal I can see – Brown to Pittsburgh for Evgeni Malkin.
The numbers
Contracts
Brown: 7 years remaining
Malkin: 7 years remaining
Both players are signed for an equal number of years, making a trade easier on both team's caps. Of course, if the Kings are done with Malkin before 2022, Dean Lombardi should be able to pull a few strings to soften the cap hit.
Corsi
Brown: 61.3 CF%
Malkin: 51.6 CF%
Dustin Brown is much better at possessing and attempting to shoot the puck than Evgeni Malkin. Brown's shots flying two feet wide of the net give the rest of the offense extra opportunities to shoot and possess the puck more than their opponents.
PDOs
Brown: 95.5
Malkin: 100.9
According to PDO, which is a number that measures luck itself, Dustin Brown's low number means he is due to score a bunch of goals. Malkin, who has been riding a streak of luck his entire career (101 PDO), is due to come crashing down to earth.
What really counts
Olympic medals
Brown: 1
Malkin: 0
Brown's great play allowed former Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik and current winger Phil Kessel to ride his coattails to Olympic greatness.
Stanley Cups
Brown: 2
Malkin: 1
This might be credited to Brown playing in front of an elite goaltender in Jonathan Quick, instead of Marc-Andre Fleury.
Final thoughts
The acquisition of Dustin Brown would provide Pittsburgh with something they have lacked since Sidney Crosby debuted: leadership. He would do all that's kneeded to protect his teammates. On top of that, Brown brings the experience of multiple championships on both the American and international stages. Again, I am right in my analysis. Maybe the Penguins will even throw in a case of mayonnaise or three to sweeten the deal.