Penguins fans can't believe the latest Evgeni Malkin announcement
Evgeni Malkin and Dan Muse are getting one more year together in Pittsburgh after the Penguins locked in the veteran center for another season.
That number matters right away.
Malkin is back on a 1-year contract worth 5.5 million dollars, which keeps him in Pittsburgh through the 2026-27 season.
At 39, turning 40 this summer, Malkin could have reached free agency.
He did not.
Instead, the Penguins kept one of the biggest names in franchise history exactly where he wanted to stay.
That says plenty about both sides.
Pittsburgh still believes Malkin can help, and Malkin clearly was not interested in dragging this into a full summer circus.
Kyle Dubas also made this simple for everyone.
The Penguins announced the deal Tuesday, and the structure of it tells you this was about keeping the window open without getting reckless on term.
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The hockey world is reacting to a shocking Evgeni Malkin announcement
This is bigger than sentiment.
Malkin just came off a strong 2025-26 season with 19 goals and 42 assists in 56 games, helping Pittsburgh reach the playoffs for the first time in 3 years.
That is still real production.
And for a Penguins team trying to stay competitive around Sidney Crosby, this was not the time to strip out another major piece from the middle of the lineup.
Malkin also is not just another veteran hanging on.
He has now spent all 20 of his NHL seasons with Pittsburgh and ranks near the top of the franchise record book in games, goals, assists, points, power-play goals, game-winning goals, and overtime goals.
That history matters in a market like this.
Muse is still shaping the next phase behind the bench, but having Malkin back gives the coach one less massive question to solve before training camp. Dan Muse remains Pittsburgh's head coach and was a Jack Adams finalist this month.
And the price feels fair.
Malkin's last deal carried a 6.1 million average annual value. This one comes in a little lower at 5.5 million, which is a clean number for a player who still can drive offense when healthy.
So no, Malkin is not going anywhere.
The Penguins got another year of Malkamania, and for Pittsburgh, that still means something.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 25, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Shayne Gostisbehere | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Taylor Hall | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Lane Hutson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Michael Matheson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Andrei Svechnikov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jackson Blake | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Cole Caufield | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ivan Demidov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jake Evans | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mark Jankowski | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Seth Jarvis | - | 1 | 1 | |
| K'Andre Miller | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Eric Robinson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | - | - | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | - | - | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | - | - | |
| William Carrier | - | - | - | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||