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Penguins don’t want to renew Evgeni Malkin’s contract
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Penguins don’t want to renew Evgeni Malkin’s contract
Credit: For a few weeks now, we’ve suspected that Evgeni Malkin would be taking his last steps in Pittsburgh in 2025-2026. But now we learn that it’s not just a matter of Malkin no longer wanting to be in Pittsburgh: it’s a matter of the Penguins wanting to move on. According to Josh Yohe (The Athletic), […]
For a few weeks now, we’ve suspected that Evgeni Malkin would be taking his last steps in Pittsburgh in 2025-2026.

But now we learn that it’s not just a matter of Malkin no longer wanting to be in Pittsburgh: it’s a matter of the Penguins wanting to move on.

According to Josh Yohe (The Athletic), the Penguins have no intention of offering the Russian a contract extension once his current deal (which expires in a year) expires.

Will he be traded down the road? I’d be surprised… unless he intends to play another season.

For example, if the Panthers picked up the guy who spends his off-seasons in South Florida, and gave him another year on his contract, that would make more sense. This is just me speculating here.

But he shouldn’t just be “traded as a rental player” next March if he intends to retire. I don’t really believe that right now.

Unless things go very badly in Pennsylvania?

And since he’s slowing down, I don’t know if he’ll really want to move and start over somewhere else. And that’s whether it’s somewhere else in the NHL (which he’s never wanted to do) or whether it’s Russia.

I really have a feeling that Malkin will simply retire in 2026. As long as he’s not the player he once was…

Obviously, by necessity, we’re going to wonder what this means for Sidney Crosby. Does the Penguins captain see himself playing in Pittsburgh without his friend in 2026-2027?

We’ll see in due course.


overtime

– He becomes Mathieu Darche’s assistant.

– Of note.

– Obviously.

– The Habs retweeted this.

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