Penguins sign Evgeni Malkin to one-year extension

One of the most legendary players in the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins is sticking around for at least another season.

On Tuesday, general manager Kyle Dubas announced that the team has signed forward at Evgeni Malkin to a one-year contract extension. The deal carries a cap hit of $5.5 million.

Malkin has been a pivotal member of the franchise since he was originally taken by the team second overall in the 2004 NHL Draft. Since then, he has helped the team win three Stanley Cups – 2009, 2016, 2017 – becoming one of the greatest players not only in the history of the Penguins, but also in the entire NHL.

However, there were questions of whether Malkin would stay in Pittsburgh. Concerns about his age and his health had arisen over the past couple of seasons, despite still being one of the team’s more prominent offensive weapons. Some wondered if it might be time for Dubas to break up the longstanding veteran core trio of Malkin, captain Sidney Crosby, and defenseman Kris Letang.

However, Malkin was a key player in Pittsburgh’s resurgence during the 2025-26 season.Malkin finished second on the team and scoring behind Crosby, helping the team finish second in the Metropolitan Division, clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2022. Even though he was limited to 56 games due to injury, the Magnitogorsk, Russia native scored 19 goals and 42 assists for 61 points. He also scored two goals and three points in Pittsburgh’s opening-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers. Ultimately, the Pens were eliminated in six games.

Across his 20 seasons, Malkin has appeared in 1,269 games, scoring 533 goals and 874 assists for 1,407 points. He also has another 69 goals and 183 points in 183 postseason games. He won the Calder Trophy in 2006-07, as well as the Conn Smythe Trophy two years later. Malkin is a two-time Art Ross Trophy winner, taking home the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award in 2011-12.