Evgeni Malkin has made it clear that if he doesn’t re-sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins this summer, he’s headed elsewhere in the NHL.
Malkin met with the media on Friday as the Penguins wrapped up their season after suffering a six-game series loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night. Given his legendary status with the club and lack of contract for next season, his uncertain future was a big topic of discussion.
“It’s hard to say right now, but we have time,” Malkin said. “You know, it’s a long summer, and I just do same routine. I go back to Russia, stay with my family, my friends, and we see what’s going on. I probably talk to (general manager) Kyle (Dubas) today one more time before I leave, and we see what he think and talk to my agent after, but right now, nothing new for you guys.”
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 is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
In the past, the Penguins have indicated that they may be reluctant to extend the soon-to-be 40-year-old forward. If that uncertainty persists into this summer, they could see their franchise legend wearing another team’s jersey.
“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. “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.”
As for which other NHL team that may be, former Penguins forward and teammate of Malkin, Tyler Kennedy, believes the Washington Capitals would be the frontrunners. Malkin and Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin are very close friends, and Kennedy believes the two would love to play their joint final seasons in the league together on the same team.
Whether the Capitals’ front office’s plans would align with that is unclear, but they have made it known that they want to acquire a top-six forward this summer. Malkin potentially signing with the team could be in addition to that player, especially considering he played more on the wing than he did at center this past year for the Penguins, which would give head coach Spencer Carbery more lineup flexibility.
While the idea of Malkin crossing the Pens-Caps rivalry may be fun to think about, the veteran pivot still made it clear that his first choice is still the Penguins and hopes to get a deal done with the team so that he can play one more year with Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang.
“I want more, you know,” Malkin said. “It’s a different emotion when you play playoffs. I want play again for sure, and it’s special two guys for me. Yeah, we’re not happy we lost, but these two special guys, I hope we play together one more year, but if not, I have great 20 years together and never forget.”
Malkin’s closest and long-time teammates echoed his sentiment, with many hoping he’ll be back for one last run next season.
“It’s tough,” Crosby said. “We’ll see what happens. We’ve played together so long, I think it’s clear that I’d love to be playing with him for longer. I think it’s pretty obvious at this point that I’d love to keep playing with him.”
“We’re really close, me, Geno, Sid,” Letang said. “You just want to keep it going. You don’t know anything other than that.”
“All I’m going to say about that is that I love Geno,” Bryan Rust said. “I don’t know life in the NHL without him. I want Geno around here as long as I’m around here.”
The Penguins are projected, per PuckPedia, to have the most salary cap space, $45.8 million, in the NHL this summer. However, they have a multitude of 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 Malkin, Kevin Hayes, Anthony Mantha, Yegor Chinakhov, Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar, Connor Clifton, Ryan Shea, Ilya Solovyov, Stuart Skinner, Arturs Silovs, Ville Koivunen, Bokondji Imama, Joona Koppanen, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Sebastian Aho, Alexander Alexeyev, and Joel Blomqvist.
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.
