Penguins legend Evgeni Malkin is entering the final season of a four-year contract, and it could be his final season as a Penguin. Not only that, the 38-year-old could be closing in on the end of his NHL career, which will no doubt see him enter the Hockey Hall of Fame in due time.
Malkin is no longer the superstar center he once was and has seen his game decline since inking his extension in the summer of 2022. That being said, he is still a capable top-six contributor for the time being and produced 50 points in 68 games last season (16 goals and 34 assists).
Malkin’s underlying numbers have also dipped in recent seasons, but he is still a positive contributor on the possession front with a 50.1 CF%. If Malkin can produce results that are similar to the last couple of seasons, he could still be an NHLer beyond this season, but it might not be with the Penguins.
Malkin has previously stated that he only wants to play for the Penguins (as per Josh Yohe of The Athletic), and if that remains true, Pittsburgh would likely need to offer him an extension to keep him in the NHL. Recent reports suggest that the Penguins don’t plan to provide Malkin an extension beyond this year.
While that seems possible if Malkin’s performance continues to decline, it might not be the case if he has a strong offensive season. Josh Yohe has mentioned multiple times that he sees the summer of 2026 as the period when Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas will become more proactive in rebuilding the team, and securing a top-six forward at a reasonable cost would be a significant step toward those efforts – if Malkin is still a top-six forward at that time.
Malkin could opt to go year to year and will likely need to consider his age, but if he’s still around, he would make an excellent mentor for some of the Penguins’ prospects expected to make the jump to the NHL in the coming seasons.
Malkin’s body might struggle with the demands of an 82-game season, but if the Penguins acquire more depth through trades and free agency, they could better protect Geno and improve his chances to produce with less physical stress. Malkin could move to the wing, as he did last season, playing alongside Sidney Crosby.
He might also drop lower in the lineup, potentially taking on a third-line centre role or playing on the wing of the third line with Thomas Novak. There would be plenty of options available, but they depend on Malkin’s ability to keep producing; otherwise, it would just be a nostalgia trip, and that’s something Dubas and Penguins management want to avoid.
The flip side of that coin is that Malkin is struggling, and his play continues to decline. He has never been the most responsible defensively, and his play away from the puck leaves much to be desired.
Malkin also has a history of taking less-than-ideal penalties, which would all become glaring issues if he doesn’t offset those shortcomings with strong point production. If that happens, it’s hard to see them extending Malkin.
Dubas has made it clear he wants the team to get younger, and holding onto a 40-year-old in decline would go against everything he has been working towards. Sure, veterans are necessary to guide rebuilds and retools, but they need to be productive as well; if not, they just take up space and block a more promising option.
If the Penguins chose not to extend Malkin, he would have options. There would probably be a team willing to take a chance on him, even if his performance were declining.
It would most likely be on a one-year deal for league minimum plus bonuses, but that would give him the chance to stay in the NHL. The more likely option for Malkin would be to retire and go back to Russia for a final farewell game in the KHL. Many Russian players have jumped over to the KHL to finish out their careers, but Malkin has previously stated that he wants to wrap up his playing days in Pittsburgh and maybe play a single game in his hometown in Russia.
No matter where Malkin goes or how the rest of his time in the NHL unfolds, he will be cherished in Pittsburgh for winning three Stanley Cups and giving Penguins fans countless highlights and memorable moments. There was a time when he was the best player in the world, and although that was a brief window, Malkin stayed among the league’s top players for more than a decade.
This upcoming season in Pittsburgh might be tough for Malkin and his teammates. Still, if the Penguins don’t trade Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Erik Karlsson, they might surprise some people by getting a meaningful boost from younger players for the first time since early 2016.
Back then, the Penguins had an 18-month run that rivals some of the greatest ever, but with an aging core, that won’t happen again this time. Still, it could be exciting if Malkin can dial it back and produce a few more memorable moments before riding off into the sunset.
Photo by Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Yeah, yeah, yadda yadda. Fact is that Geno’s a still productive player, and they’re handing out max term with surprising money to guys who haven’t yet produced even at the level he did last year (hello, Frank Nazar). Of course you don’t want to go more than year-to-year at his age and with his historic brittleness, but veteran leadership is not to be sneered at if the veterans can still put points on the board.
This is quite aside from that a floundering franchise in a small market city (hell, the first rumors of a move were in the *Sixties*) needs not to piss off the fanbase any more than they need to, by treating a legend shabbily. Paying a few million to a guy who can still score is a small price to pay.
But if some other team offers attractive future assets at the deadline, that should outrank a retirement tour done purely out of nostalgia for his career as it was a decade ago.
Well, sure. But there’s a big difference between trading him for genuine assets, and just not bothering to sign him again because … reasons?
The best move for Pittsburgh is to trade Malkin at the deadline. The Penguins are a dumpster fire, And will be for quite awhile.
Malkin to Florida at the deadline.
Nha Trang
Yeah, yeah, yadda yadda. Fact is that Geno’s a still productive player, and they’re handing out max term with surprising money to guys who haven’t yet produced even at the level he did last year (hello, Frank Nazar). Of course you don’t want to go more than year-to-year at his age and with his historic brittleness, but veteran leadership is not to be sneered at if the veterans can still put points on the board.
This is quite aside from that a floundering franchise in a small market city (hell, the first rumors of a move were in the *Sixties*) needs not to piss off the fanbase any more than they need to, by treating a legend shabbily. Paying a few million to a guy who can still score is a small price to pay.
Wow, you go Nha! So angry and bitter over the Frank Nazar contract that you are schlepping your tantrum over it across forum lines. Well done. You are at your entertaining best when you are letting a fun game like hockey out your crabby old guy persona. Play on!
You seem upset.