If there was even an ounce of doubt, Jim Rutherford is putting it to rest.
Speaking on the NHL Network during the later rounds of the draft Saturday, the Pittsburgh Penguins general manager debunked any notion that Evgeni Malkin isn't in the team's plans moving forward.
"Let me make this easy on everybody - we're not trading Malkin," Rutherford said.
"We've never talked about it. We don't want to do it," he added.
Malkin, who's set to turn 30 in July, remains under contract through the 2021-22 season at a salary cap hit of $9.5 million and with a no-move clause to boot.
The Russian superstar recorded six goals and 12 assists during the team's recent Stanley Cup run while playing with a significant elbow injury.
