'In a Heartbeat': Insider Reveals How Kyle Dubas Really Feels About Malkin and Letang

Evgeni Malkin remains undecided as to whether his next season, his 20th with the Pittsburgh Penguins, will be his last.

The 39-year-old is serving out his four-year, $24.4 million deal ($6.1 million AAV) that he inked in July 2022 in its fourth and final season.

A three-time Stanley Cup champion (2009, 2016, 2017), Malkin would also prefer to have another opportunity at a championship.

But the Penguins currently haven't made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, and if it continues, he said he'd consider waiving his no-movement clause prior to March 6's trade deadline.

The scenario is similar to that of Brad Marchand, who won a second Stanley Cup last year with Florida after a deadline deal from Boston. But Malkin stated clearly, if he has his way, he's retiring in Pittsburgh.

Selected No. 2 overall in 2004, Malkin has never played without Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang (another name in rumors) alongside him.

The three are now the longest-tenured trio in North American professional sports, and though Crosby and Letang also are subject to daily speculation, both remain tied to Pittsburgh.

Crosby, who extended his deal for two years in 2024, scored 91 points last year, even with the team struggling.

Penguins GM Kyle Dubas has acknowledged the uproar but says it will not influence the way he assembles the roster.

NHL insider Josh Yohe revealed that Dubas even conceded he would trade Malkin and Letang "in a heartbeat", especially if the right offer came around.

Malkin scored 50 points (16 goals, 34 assists) in 68 games last season, his fewest total in years. Whether this marks the start of a farewell tour or another chapter, one thing is certain: the Penguins' season will have much to do with determining.