Penguins Re-Sign Evgeni Malkin to One-Year Contract

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Penguins Re-Sign Evgeni Malkin to One-Year Contract

Originally posted on Trade Talk Sports | By Jackson Weber | Last updated May 26, 2026 2:35 PM ET

The big three in Pittsburgh doesn’t appear to be breaking up after all.

Despite plenty of talk that the Penguins may be pushing legend Evgeni Malkin out of town, the most likely scenario all along has come to fruition: an extension to stay in Pittsburgh for one more season alongside Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang.

GM Kyle Dubas announced the news that the Penguins re-signed Malkin to a one-year, $5.5 million contract in a statement posted by the team.

“The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Evgeni Malkin to a one-year contract extension, it was announced today by President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas.

The deal runs through the 2026-27 campaign and carries an average annual value of $5.5 million,”

The 39-year-old Malkin was a pending UFA having just played out the fourth and final year of the four-year, $24.4 million extension he signed with the Penguins in 2022. He racked up 61 points (19 goals, 42 assists) in just 56 games played last regular season.

Malkin always wanted to stay in Pittsburgh no matter what, so the idea of him leaving never made much sense, especially given how productive he remains and the cap flexibility Dubas and company have at their disposal.

Moving to the wing midway through last season also appeared to help Malkin, allowing him to focus more on the offensive side of the game, where he thrives and is still one of the more dynamic players in the league, as shown by the continued production into his late thirties.

It will be interesting to see how aggressive Dubas is in adding around the aging core of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang, because with the draft picks, prospect pool, and cap space he has, there is potential for multiple big splashes from the Penguins this summer.

This article first appeared on Trade Talk Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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