Evgeni Malkin has never been one to mince words, and this season, he’s made two things abundantly clear: he doesn’t want to retire after this year, and he doesn’t want to wear any jersey other than a Pittsburgh Penguins one.
There’s been no cryptic messaging, no vague soundbites. Malkin has been direct - he wants to keep playing, and he wants to do it in the only NHL city he’s ever called home. But while the future Hall of Famer has made his intentions known, the Penguins’ front office hasn’t exactly sprinted to the negotiating table.
That’s not entirely surprising. Malkin turns 40 this year.
He’s coming off a 2024-25 campaign that was, by his standards, underwhelming - 50 points in 68 games - and he’s had his share of knee issues. When you’re an aging star on a team that’s publicly committed to getting younger, the contract talks don’t always come quickly.
And they haven’t. There was no movement this past offseason, and Penguins president Kyle Dubas made it clear at the start of training camp that the team was taking a wait-and-see approach.
“He’s in a great mood every day,” Dubas said back in the fall. “No change on [the contract] front.
I spoke with him and [agent J.P. Barry] in the summer when stuff started percolating there...
The [Olympic] break provides a key opportunity for that… I expect him to have a great season.”
That quote might’ve sounded like a brush-off at the time, but in hindsight, it may have been something more calculated - a subtle challenge. Dubas didn’t shut the door on Malkin’s future, but he didn’t prop it open either.
Instead, he left it up to Malkin to kick it down. And that’s exactly what the veteran center has done.
Despite missing time with a shoulder injury, Malkin has been electric. He’s posted 39 points in 35 games, often looking like the most dangerous player on the ice - not just for Pittsburgh, but in the game, period. And he’s doing it with a sense of urgency and joy that’s hard to miss.
Take last night’s 6-2 win over Edmonton. Malkin had a goal and an assist, but it was the how that stood out. Late in a long shift, he stripped none other than Connor McDavid of the puck, turned on the jets, and buried a breakaway - the kind of play that makes you forget the birth certificate says 1986.
After the game, Malkin brushed aside any talk of retirement with a grin.
“I never say I want to retire. It’s all you,” he told reporters.
“I feel great, and I like how we play. It’s always fun to win.”
He’s clearly having fun, and he’s clearly motivated. It’s not just about numbers - though those are impressive - it’s about the energy, the buy-in.
Malkin has played his usual center role, but he’s also shifted to wing when needed. He’s joked about playing defense or even goalie if that’s what it takes to help the team.
Whatever the ask, he’s answered it.
And if there were any lingering doubts about whether he still has it, that McDavid steal and finish should’ve put them to rest.
“But I hope you see…it’s not easy,” Malkin said postgame. “I try to do my best because I knew I wanted to play one more year.
I want to show I’m still a good player. I want everybody to see that I can play next year.
It’s my goal right now.”
That goal is within reach - and frankly, he’s already earned it. The Penguins are projected to have over $50 million in cap space this offseason.
Whether Malkin’s next deal comes in at $5 million or $10 million is almost irrelevant from a roster-building standpoint. They can afford it, and more importantly, he’s proven he deserves it.
Malkin’s 2025-26 season has been a statement - not a farewell tour, but a declaration that he’s still got gas in the tank and fire in his game. The Olympic break is just a couple of weeks away, and with it comes the window Dubas mentioned back in September. The time to talk is nearly here.
Now it’s Pittsburgh’s turn to respond. Malkin’s done his part.
He’s shown up, produced, and led. He’s made it clear that he wants to keep wearing black and gold.
The Penguins have the cap space, the flexibility, and the opportunity to make that happen.
All that’s left is to hand him the pen.