Penguins' Evgeni Malkin makes thoughts on retirement clear after dominant win over Oilers

Even before the Pittsburgh Penguins emerged as arguably the top positive surprise of the first half of the 2025-26 NHL season, franchise icon and center Evgeni Malkin hinted he wanted to continue playing for Pittsburgh or a different club beyond the ongoing campaign.

Malkin has since turned the clock back via his performances, such as when he tallied a goal and an assist in Pittsburgh's 6-2 thrashing of the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Thursday night. Following the victory, Malkin left little doubt about his mindset regarding his future. 

Evgeni Malkin "never said" this would be his final season

"I never said I want to retire," Malkin explained, per Josh Yohe of The Athletic. "It’s all you. I feel great." 

While few are shocked that superstar captain Sidney Crosby continues to be an ageless wonder, Malkin seemingly has played with a newfound motivation amid his desire for a contract extension. ESPN stats show that the 39-year-old in the final year of his deal began Friday ranked second on the Penguins with 39 points and fifth with 12 goals on the season. 

Back in October, a report revealed that Malkin "would stick around for less money and a lesser role," in part because he "loves playing for the Penguins and isn’t ready to be shown the door" by the only NHL team of his career. With the Penguins surprisingly second in the Metropolitan Division standings, talk about Pittsburgh possibly making Malkin available before the March 6 trade deadline has all but disappeared. 

Why has Evgeni Malkin played so well this season?

"It’s hard to say," Malkin responded when asked why he has played so well since the start of the season. "But I hope you see … it’s not easy. I try to do my best because I knew I wanted to play one more year. I want to show I’m still a good player. I want everybody to see that I can play next year. It’s my goal right now."

The 25-14-11 Penguins will wrap up their West-Coast trip when they play at the 17-28-5 Vancouver Canucks this coming Sunday.