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Major Development Emerges Regarding Evgeni Malkin's Future in Pittsburgh
A major new development regarding Evgeni Malkin's future with the Pittsburgh Penguins has been released as he's set to enter the last year of his current contract.
Pittsburgh Penguins fans have been bracing for what could potentially be the end of an era in their franchise, as longtime forward and 3x Stanley Cup winner Evgeni Malkin is entering the final year of his current contract.
The prevailing thought is that Malkin could choose to retire from the NHL after playing out his current deal, but could that change?
Per Penguins beat reporter Matt Vensel, Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas indicated that there is a chance Malkin could continue playing for the team beyond his current contract.
Kyle Dubas suggested the door could be open for Evgeni Malkin to return in 2026-27. Said he will check in with him during this upcoming season.
On the opening day of Penguins Develpment Camp, Dubas said that he'll be meeting with Malkin during the NHL's Olympic break in early 2026 to discuss his future.
We'll meet at the Olympic break this year and see where Geno's at, and meet at the end of the year. It's strange, he's going to be 39 at the end of July. He's still playing at a very high level for a player of that age. He means a great deal to the community. Our focus is on treating him right, pushing him to continue to be at his best this year, and do right by him by continuing to communicate with him where he stands.
One of the best players in team history, Malkin's goal production dropped to 16 this year, his lowest output since he scored 8 goals in 33 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.
The Penguins have missed the postseason in each of the last 3 years, marking the longest playoff drought of both Malkin and longtime teammate and fellow future Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby's careers.
The Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 2009 as postseason MVP, Malkin has won numerous awards during his career; his 1,346 points (514G, 832A) are 3rd all-time in Penguins history.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 30 | 176 ANSWERS Major Development Emerges Regarding Evgeni Malkin's Future in Pittsburgh Can Evgeni Malkin be convinced to remain with the Penguins beyond his current contract? | ||
| Yes | 90 | 51.1 % |
| No | 86 | 48.9 % |
| List of polls | ||