Evgeni Malkin is on the precipice of entering an uncertain time in his legendary NHL career. The Pittsburgh Penguins are just one loss away from being swept out of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Philadelphia Flyers, and Malkin, just like his close friend Alex Ovechkin, does not have a contract past this season.
The 2025-26 campaign is Malkin’s 20th with the club, and prior to the season, the Penguins were reportedly set to decline to offer him an extension beyond this year. However, that was before Malkin rebounded to record 61 points (19g, 42a) in 56 games for a Pittsburgh team that has far exceeded expectations, finishing second in the Metropolitan Division.
Malkin, for his part, wants to stay.
“I mean, I hope it’s not over,” Malkin said after practice on Friday. “I hope we’re still fighting, and my future, like I said, I want to be here. I want to be part of the team next year, too. And I want to be retired in Pittsburgh. But it’s not my choice. It’s Kyle’s decision. It’s the new owner’s, probably, too. But again, I just play my game tomorrow, and I hope it’s not over and we’re back to Pittsburgh because we want to play to our fans, too. They deserve it.”
Malkin has repeatedly stated he does not want to play for any other NHL team than the Penguins. While that may be the case, general manager Kyle Dubas may have his hand forced with the Pens in an awkward transitional phase where their star veterans, Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson are all nearing 40 years old.
While the Penguins made the playoffs this season, they had previously committed to a rebuild, stockpiling 15 draft picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts. The decision for Dubas and his staff now is whether they deviate from that path to help bolster a core of older stars that is down 3-0 in the first round to the Flyers, or stay committed to the plan they initiated after missing the postseason for three straight years.
“He’s a franchise icon,” Dubas told Taylor Haase last month. “He deserves to be treated with the utmost amount of respect, and we always want to handle it the right way.
“From our perspective, the communication with JP Barry (Malkin’s agent) and with Geno has been very clear both in terms of how we want to handle it as we continue to proceed and what that path is going to be. I don’t think it benefits Geno or the Pittsburgh Penguins for us to lay all that out publicly, as much as the public may have an interest in it, other than to say the year Geno’s had has been spectacular for someone who’s 39 years old.”
Malkin is a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Penguins and has taken home a hoard of individual silverware as a superstar member of the club. The seven-time NHL All-Star owns a Calder Trophy (2007), two Art Ross Trophies (2009, 2012), a Conn Smythe Trophy (2009), a Hart Trophy (2012), and a Ted Lindsay Award (2012).
Alongside him has been Crosby, who went through his own contract negotiations with Pittsburgh ahead of last season. The typically stone-faced captain of the club, who signed a two-year extension that expires at the end of next season, didn’t want to speculate about potentially playing his final game with Malkin on Saturday night.
“I don’t think that does any good, to be honest with you,” Crosby said. “I think it’s just all about what’s best suited to go out there and be at your best and enjoy it. Ultimately, as a player, this is the best time of year, and it’s not an ideal situation, but at the same time, we would have took this last year. I think it’s just a matter of having the right approach, enjoying it, and just making sure we focus on what’s in front of us here.”
The Penguins need a win in Game 4 against the Flyers to extend their season. From there, they’d look to become just the fifth team in NHL history to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-7 series. They have been outscored by the Flyers 11-4 through three games, with Malkin leading the team in scoring with three points (2g, 1a).
“I mean, we understand the situation,” Malkin said. “It’s not easy. It’s tough, of course, but it’s not over. We can’t be in a bad mood because it’s not helpful to us, for sure. We have great practice. We work hard and ready for tomorrow. I mean, last game, we played amazing. If we play the same like that the whole game, we have a chance to win. It’s just one game. It’s not easy, of course. Nobody believes in us, but we believe in ourselves, and I believe in my team.”
Malkin is in the final season of a four-year, $24.4 million contract ($6.1 million AAV) he signed with Pittsburgh on July 12, 2022. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
