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Evgeni Malkin extension update arrives as Penguins chase the playoffs
Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins are circling an extension talk, and the stakes feel personal for a franchise that still wants playoff noise.
The plan was to meet during the Olympic break, but it has not happened yet.
That does not mean it is dead.
The latest report says Kyle Dubas and Malkin’s agent, J.P. Barry, still expect a sit-down before the NHL schedule resumes next week.
Malkin is in the final year of his four-year, $24.4 million contract, a $6.1 million cap hit, and he can hit UFA on July 1.
The chatter points to a one-year extension being the cleanest fit, and a number around $5 million has been floated.
On the ice, Geno has made the case the old-school way, with production.
He has 13-31-44 in 41 games, and he still drives the man advantage when the puck starts moving east-west.
Evgeni Malkin keeps the Pittsburgh Penguins dangerous
Honestly, a lot of fans were ready for the goodbye tour, so hearing “one more year” lands like a surprise burst of hope.
Pittsburgh sits 29-15-12, and that record changes how you negotiate.
If you are in the race, you do not rush a breakup with a top-six center who can tilt a game on one shift.
The tricky part is role and pace.
Malkin cannot carry every matchup anymore, but he can feast when the lines are built to get him touches in space.
A one-year term also keeps the blue line and goalie plans flexible, instead of chaining the cap to sentiment.
If the conversation happens before play returns, it could calm a room that has been waiting for clarity since October.
Either way, the next Penguins game after the break is going to feel like a measuring stick for how serious this push really is.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 19|182 ANSWERS Evgeni Malkin extension update arrives as Penguins chase the playoffs Should the Penguins extend Evgeni Malkin for one year? | ||
| Yes | 162 | 89 % |
| No | 20 | 11 % |
| List of polls | ||