Evgeni Malkin is returning to Pittsburgh for a one-year deal, keeping alive a 21-year run with the Penguins that includes his longest-ever stretch playing alongside Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. The move comes after Malkin’s bounce-back season of 19 goals and
When Evgeni Malkin walked back into the Penguins orbit, it wasn’t a new start so much as a familiar finish returning on schedule.
Malkin is set to return to Pittsburgh on a one-year deal, the only NHL home he’s ever known. Next season will mark his 21st year with the franchise. a run that has included three Stanley Cup championships. and it will also keep the Penguins’ most enduring trio intact. For 21 straight years. Malkin has played alongside Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang—an NHL three-player stretch that has also become the longest run by a trio of teammates in major North American professional sports.
Crosby made it clear he wanted to run it back one more time. “For as long as (Malkin’s) played here I think he’s been part of setting the standard,” Crosby said. “And just on top of all the experiences we’ve shared. you build that belief and trust and bond and that’s something you’ve had over the course of time.”.
Malkin’s own message has been consistent with Crosby’s. He previously said he hoped to return to Pittsburgh, adding: “I hope we play together one more year,” and if it didn’t happen, he pointed to the weight of what they already built: “If not, we have great 20 years together and never forget.”
The timing also fits the way his most recent season ended. Malkin came off a bounce-back year, finishing with 19 goals and 42 assists in 56 games. It was part of what helped Pittsburgh return to the playoffs after a three-year absence. only for the Penguins to see their season cut short when they were eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers in six games in Round 1.
In a career that has been inseparable from the Penguins, Malkin has produced 533 goals and 874 assists in 1,269 games. Pittsburgh drafted him second overall in 2004. selecting him behind Alex Ovechkin—an early milestone that later became the foundation for everything the franchise still carries in its identity.
This off-season, the Penguins have started with room to move, entering it with more than $45 million in projected salary-cap space. Even with Malkin’s return settled, the broader picture isn’t done. Another key forward, Anthony Mantha, is also set to hit the market if he’s not re-signed before July 1.
Evgeni Malkin Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby Kris Letang one-year deal Stanley Cup NHL Philadelphia Flyers Anthony Mantha salary cap 2004 draft