Evgeni Malkin’s ride with the Pittsburgh Penguins is nearing its final stop, and the farewell tour appears set to begin this fall.
The 39-year-old center will return for a 20th season with the franchise, but the Penguins do not plan to offer him another contract, according to Josh Yohe of The Athletic. Whether he retires after 2025-26 remains unclear, but his final chapter in Pittsburgh is all but written.
Malkin has consistently maintained that he wants to spend his entire career with the Penguins. And while he is no longer a dominant force, he remains productive, posting 16 goals and 50 points in 68 games last season. The explosiveness that defined his prime has dulled, in large part due to multiple knee surgeries.
He has already cemented his legacy as one of the game’s greats: a three-time Stanley Cup champion, Conn Smythe winner, Hart Trophy recipient, and two-time Art Ross winner. But the Penguins know sentiment cannot override reality. Malkin’s game has declined, and team leadership is not counting on a late-career resurgence. The organization is shifting toward a youth movement.
Last season, the team paired Malkin with inconsistent wingers like Anthony Beauvillier and Philip Tomasino. That could change in 2025-26. He is expected to skate alongside Tommy Novak, who tallied 13 goals and 22 points in 52 games for the Nashville Predators before Pittsburgh acquired him at the trade deadline. Novak might even take over at center if Malkin shifts to the wing, a setup both players appear open to.
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What comes after will remain a mystery, but this season looks like Malkin’s last dance in Pittsburgh.
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