Evgeni Malkin has re-signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins on a one-year contract extension running through the 2026-27 season with an average annual value of $5.5 million. The 2025-26 season was the final year of his previous four-year, $24.4 million deal signed on July 12, 2022, after which he would have become an unrestricted free agent. Malkin indicated he wanted to continue playing in the NHL and preferred staying with Pittsburgh, while stating he was not looking to return to the KHL. Penguins cap projections still show $37 million in available space, though additional players remain unsigned and there are no goaltenders under contract for next year. Several other players are also eligible for contract extensions, including Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Samuel Girard, and Tommy Novak.
"The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed legendary forward Evgeni Malkin to a one-year contract extension. The deal runs through the 2026-27 campaign and carries an average annual value of $5.5 million. The 2025-26 season was the last on a four-year, $24.4 million contract ($6.1 million AAV) that Malkin signed with Pittsburgh on July 12, 2022. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1."
"Malkin had previously made it clear that if he didn't re-sign with the Penguins this summer, he would be headed elsewhere in the NHL. "I want to play NHL, for sure, but again I know it's not easy for Kyle, you know, maybe he wants like new blood here," Malkin said earlier this month. "I understand it's business, and I understand he wants maybe new team, see new faces here. But for me, I want play one more year in NHL. I'm not looking back to KHL, play in Russia, but if not Pittsburgh, I hope some team.""
"After re-signing Malkin, the Penguins are projected, per PuckPedia, to have $37 million of cap space still this summer. However, they still have more players to re-sign or replace, with no goaltenders under contract for next year. The full list of names heading into the summer without a deal includes Kevin Hayes, Anthony Mantha, Yegor Chinakhov, Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar, Connor Clifton, Ryan Shea, Ilya Solovyov, Stuart Skinner, Arturs Silovs, Ville Koivunen, Bokondji Imama, Joona Koppanen, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Sebastian Aho, Alexander Alexeyev, and Joel Blomqvist."
"Sidney Crosby will also become eligible for a contract extension as he enters the final year of the two-year deal he signed with the Penguins in 2024. The same goes for veteran defensemen Erik Karlsson and Samuel Girard, as well as forward Tommy Novak."
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