The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed legendary forward Evgeni Malkin to a one-year contract extension.
“Were you worried? Always a 🐧,” Malkin wrote on his Instagram page.
The deal, which contains a no-movement clause, runs through the 2026-27 campaign and carries an average annual value of $5.5 million. Malkin will receive a $3 million signing bonus and a $2.5 million salary.
The Penguins legend can also make as much as $3.5 million more in bonuses, per Chris Johnston.
- $500K in games played bonuses ($250K after 42 games played; $250K after 63 games played)
- $1 million if the Penguins qualify for the 2027 Stanley Cup Playoffs
- $500K for each playoff round won
The 2025-26 season was the last on a four-year, $24.4 million contract ($6.1 million AAV) that Malkin signed with Pittsburgh on July 12, 2022. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Malkin had previously made it clear that if he didn’t re-sign with the Penguins this summer, he would be headed elsewhere in the NHL.
“I want to play NHL, for sure, but again I know it’s not easy for Kyle, you know, maybe he wants like new blood here,” Malkin said earlier this month. “I understand it’s business, and I understand he wants maybe new team, see new faces here. But for me, I want play one more year in NHL. I’m not looking back to KHL, play in Russia, but if not Pittsburgh, I hope some team.”
After re-signing Malkin, the Penguins are projected, per PuckPedia, to have $37 million of cap space still this summer. However, they still have more players to re-sign or replace, with no goaltenders under contract for next year.
The full list of names heading into the summer without a deal includes Kevin Hayes, Anthony Mantha, Yegor Chinakhov, Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar, Connor Clifton, Ryan Shea, Stuart Skinner, Arturs Silovs, Ville Koivunen, Bokondji Imama, Joona Koppanen, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Sebastian Aho, Alexander Alexeyev, and Joel Blomqvist.
Sidney Crosby will also become eligible for a contract extension as he enters the final year of the two-year deal he signed with the Penguins in 2024. The same goes for veteran defensemen Erik Karlsson and Samuel Girard, as well as forward Tommy Novak.
