Penguins' Kyle Dubas gives Evgeni Malkin update amid uncertainty

Fair or not, the perception existed long before the Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the rival Philadelphia Flyers that Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas had no real interest in re-signing forward and franchise legend Evgeni Malkin.  

Malkin remains on track to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but Dubas suggested during his end-of-season news conference on Tuesday that he is open to bringing the three-time Stanley Cup champion back for another campaign. 

Kyle Dubas would "love" for this Evgeni Malkin outcome?

Per Greg Wyshynski of ESPN, Dubas said that he had a "great exit interview" with Malkin and has had subsequent discussions with Malkin's agent. 

"We would love to have him back," Dubas added about Malkin. 

Some outsiders may doubt that, as it's no secret that Dubas wanted the Penguins to get younger and faster before Pittsburgh started the 2025-26 season at 8-2-2 en route to making what became a stunning trip to the playoffs. While Malkin finished the regular season ranked fifth on the team with 61 points and 19 goals over 56 games, he will turn 40 years old at the end of July. Thus, one would understand if Dubas felt that Malkin basically emptied the tank during a contract year. 

Kyle Dubas addresses lingering Evgeni Malkin narrative

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and fellow franchise icon Kris Letang are both under contract and are expected to run it back with the club. Both players made it known after the Philadelphia series that they want Dubas to keep the band together, but critics of such a move have said that re-signing Malkin would prevent younger talents from receiving playing time. 

On Tuesday, Dubas insisted that he doesn't think certain younger players have done "enough to have it viewed like [Malkin is] blocking anybody out in that regard." 

Nothing Dubas said on Tuesday would lead one to believe that he wants to sign Malkin to more than a team-friendly one-year deal. For now, it sounds like the two sides will keep talking about what they'll deem to be a fair agreement for everybody involved.