Story perspectives

Penguins Pursue Malkin Return, Call Him Bargain

5/13/2026

Summary

Penguins Pursue Malkin

GM Kyle Dubas said the Penguins want Evgeni Malkin back as free agency, citing an exit interview and talks with J.P. Barry, noting Malkin’s 19 goals and $3.8 million cap hit, calling it a bargain after a 6-goal, 11-point stretch.
The Penguins finished 10th overall and lost their last three games, a 5-7 loss in St. Louis.
Sidney Crosby added 29 goals and 74 points this season, reinforcing the veteran core.

Summary

Penguins Tenure Record

The trio of Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang have become the longest-tenured teammates in professional sports, surpassing the 17-season record of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada of New York Yankees.
They have logged 3,924 games, amassed 3,794 points and scored 1,365 goals for the Penguins.
Pittsburgh entered the 2026-27 season with $42.7 million salary-cap space.
Malkin’s four-year, $24.4 million contract expires July 1, 2026, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Summary

Dubas Sets Roster

Ron Dubas said Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist will compete for two NHL spots, while the third spot will be decided among Stuart Skinner, rookie Arturs Silovs, or another veteran.
Ilya Solovyov signed a one-year, $850,000 deal and Connor Dewar a two-year, $2.25 million cap-hit contract.
With $42.7 million in cap space, Dubas warned against early free-agent overspending.
Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson have one year left and are not immediate extension targets.

Summary

Malkin Weighs Future

Evgeni Malkin said he will consider signing with an NHL team if Pittsburgh does not reach a contract.
Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust expressed confidence that Evgeni Malkin will stay in Pittsburgh.
Evgeni Malkin acknowledged a likely pay cut would be required, referencing his $6.1 million cap hit.
Analysts note the trio’s 20-season record aligns with a offseason as Pittsburgh decides whether to retain its core or rebuild.

History

Historical Context

After the Detroit Red Wings swept Washington in the 1998 Stanley Cup Final, the Pittsburgh Penguins proved a low-seeded club could still capture the Cup when they won as the fourth-seeded Eastern team in 2009, becoming the first since the 1995 New Jersey Devils to do so. That precedent guides GM Kyle Dubas’s 2024 cap-space decisions around Evgeni Malkin.

1 of 5

Penguins Pursue Malkin

GM Kyle Dubas said the Penguins want Evgeni Malkin back as free agency, citing an exit interview and talks with J.P. Barry, noting Malkin’s 19 goals and $3.8 million cap hit, calling it a bargain after a 6-goal, 11-point stretch.
The Penguins finished 10th overall and lost their last three games, a 5-7 loss in St. Louis.
Sidney Crosby added 29 goals and 74 points this season, reinforcing the veteran core.

1 / 5