As for the original post, they don't really need each other. At least not for now. Ovechkin doesn't really need Malkin to get good scoring chances on the PP, and Malkin should be perfectly happy with having guys like Radulov and Shirokov around him to set up. As a result you should be able to have two solid power-play units.
Perhaps if they play Canada (or the US again) they'd have a real need for each other on the PP, but I don't think they do right now.
Perhaps if they play Canada (or the US again) they'd have a real need for each other on the PP, but I don't think they do right now.