Evgeni Malkin confirms Kyle Dubas talks after win, Penguins must re-sign him

Malkin is 39, a pending UFA, and he is finishing a four-year, $24.4 million deal with a $6.1 million cap hit and full no-move clause.

He also returned Monday from suspension and put up two goals in a 7-2 win over Colorado, which is the kind of timing front offices do not ignore.

His season line sits at 15-35-50 in 47 games, and that still plays on a contender's second line.

The fit is simple. Malkin still drives the man advantage, still slows chaotic shifts into controlled touches, and still gives Pittsburgh a real middle-lane threat behind Sidney Crosby.

For the next game, this matters because the Penguins can keep Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell in cleaner offensive matchups if Malkin holds the second unit together. That is lineup value, not legacy talk.

Pittsburgh is now 34-18-15 after Monday's win, so Dubas is not managing a farewell tour here. He is managing a playoff race and a cap puzzle at the same time.

Fans are going to split on the age, but plenty of them watched Monday and saw the same thing, this team is harder to defend when Geno is engaged.

The smart play is a short extension, likely one year, at a lower number that protects flexibility while keeping the power play dangerous.

A full rebuild argument gets weaker when the player still produces above a point per game and controls game flow in the offensive zone.

Dubas does not need sentiment here. He needs a number, a role, and a contract that keeps the Penguins dangerous again on Wednesday and believable next fall.

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