Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Evgeni Malkin finally speaks on what he envisions for his future playing career in exclusive interview
Penguins legend Evgeni Malkin finally spoke about what he envisions for his future playing career, and he really wants to stay in Pittsburgh and chase a Stanley Cup.
Before the season began, the narrative surrounding the Penguins was one that was cast in stone: the core was too old, the roster was too shallow, and the championship window had closed. Everyone expected the team to take a downturn.
After all, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang would for the first time in two decades simply be too old.
What the Penguins did to prove everyone wrong
Instead, the Penguins turned every projection on its head. Crosby began the year leading the league in goals. Malkin shot to the top of the league in assists. And the "old" core suddenly didn't seem old anymore.
Crosby, Malkin, and Letang: 20 years together. That's an unheard-of streak in the pro sports landscape in America. Such sustained success doesn't occur by accident.
Malkin's play suggests he's far from ready to finish the chapter in the Penguins' history he's a part of. He wants to extend it.
The Penguins and Malkin haven't yet opened contract extension negotiations beyond the 2025-26 season, though Kyle Dubas indicated that might happen towards the end of the season, perhaps during the Olympics.
Why Evgeni Malkin trade rumors really began to swirl
Losing Aleksander Barkov for the season in Florida sent rumors swirling. Despite the report that the Penguins aren't expected to extend Malkin's contract, that one seems more like bluffing in negotiations.
It's difficult to picture the team letting one of the building blocks of the franchise go. Malkin did not let the noise bother him, but recognized the uncertainty inherent in both the sport of hockey as well as the process of aging, but he wants to stay.
"Sometimes you can imagine it - for example, if you win the Cup. But again, a lot depends on things I can't control. We'll talk after the season Of course, I don't see myself in another jersey - not in Florida, not in Colorado, anywhere. I've played my whole life in Pittsburgh. I love the fans, I love the city. I want to finish here. But there are always details. And of course, I want to fight for another Cup."
His influence is priceless: he's been a three-time champion, MVP winner, and one of the dominant players in the league. At 39 years of age, he's continuing to produce in the league that gets younger by the year.
He wants to finish in the place he began in order to make the influence of his number 71 forever remembered.
Previously on HockeyUnplugged
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 25 | 97 ANSWERS Evgeni Malkin finally speaks on what he envisions for his future playing career in exclusive interview Do you believe Evgeni Malkin will be playing with the Penguins next season? | ||
| Yes | 68 | 70.1 % |
| No | 29 | 29.9 % |
| List of polls | ||