Good Move or Pleasing the Fans? What Re-Signing a 20-Year Veteran Means for the 26-27 Penguins
In the early afternoon of Tuesday, May 26th, 2026, the Pittsburgh Penguins and 39-year-old forward Evgeni Malkin reached an agreement on a one-year contract. ‘The Russian Bear’ will return to the city where his son was born for his 21st NHL season, which will likely be his last. After a Game Six loss in the Penguins' playoff matchup against their in-state rivals, the Flyers, much of the off-season talk has been about Malkin’s future. The Penguins' long-time alternate captain stated that he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh, but would play one more year elsewhere if the Penguins chose to let him walk. President of Hockey Operations, Kyle Dubas, and Penguins fans agreed on wanting Malkin back, too, as fans were spotted regularly holding signs asking Dubas to re-sign Malkin. Dubas himself said, “We’d love to have him back. The season that he’s had, where we’re at, where we’re going. I don’t look at our younger players and think that they’ve done enough to have a view that he’s blocking anybody out in that regard.” From the moment the Pens were eliminated from the playoffs to the moment Malkin was re-signed, everybody thought that it was the likely outcome. Now, the only question that remains is whether this was a good decision.
Despite playing most of the season at 39 years old, ‘The Russian Bear’ had his first point-per-game season in four years, and arguably his best season overall since 2019-2020, when he recorded 74 points through 55 games. In 2025-2026, Malkin bounced back in rookie head coach Dan Muse’s new system. He recorded 61 points in 56 games, 42 of them assists, which ranked second on the team. He had 16 multi-point games and even added another hat trick to his resume. At base value, Malkin’s one-year deal is worth $5.5 million, with $3 million of that being in his signing bonus. An already solid payday for the aging Russian, it comes with incentives that could bring it up to nine million total, showing the faith that Dubas has in Malkin to be a game-changer for Pittsburgh, even as he’ll be 40 by the time the 26-27 season starts. The biggest concern for ‘Geno’ heading into 2026 is his age and health. While his quality of play clearly improved under 2026 Jack Adams Award nominee, Dan Muse, a left shoulder injury kept him sidelined for nearly 30 games. Similar to Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang, age has been a large factor in the health of these Penguins legends, and may end up costing Pittsburgh in 2026-2027.
Malkin has been a staple and household name in Pittsburgh for basically the entire two decades he has lived here. Having his son born in the city, he calls Pittsburgh home. Whether it’s fans or his teammates, it wouldn't have been right for him to leave the Steel City. Malkin’s teammate, Rickard Rakell, spoke in an interview on May 1st, saying, “I can’t see him not coming back, I’ll put it that way. Malkin signing elsewhere hasn’t really come to my head yet. It probably won’t.” Malkin has won two Art Ross Trophies, one Hart Memorial Trophy, one Ted Lindsay Trophy, one Calder Trophy, and one Conn Smythe Trophy. He has been named the Penguins' team MVP five separate times, and in 2024 became just the 48th NHL player to score 500+ goals. He is a seven-time all-star and has eclipsed 100 points in a season three times, making him one of only four to do so. With the hope that the Penguins can continue the unexpected success they achieved in 25-26, the return of Malkin will likely make or break the team. His re-signing and return to his spot alongside Crosby and Letang means the Penguins will once again be led by 20-year veterans, hoping they can raise them up and not hold them back.
