PITTSBURGH (AP) – After all, Evgeni Malkin is staying in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins and the Russian star agreed to a four-year contract Tuesday night worth $ 6.1 million a year. The deal was signed just hours before the three-time Stanley Cup-winning center became a free agent for the first time in his career.
Malkin, 35, will remain with teammates Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. The Penguins signed Letang on a six-year deal last week, but progress on a new deal with Malkin appeared to be stalled until Monday, when a person with knowledge of Malkin’s thought process told The Associated Press that Malkin he intended to test the opening. market.
What appeared to be a potentially bitter divorce with the start of free agency approaching Wednesday, became an 11-hour deal. The winner of the 2012 Hart Trophy and the double scoring league champion will remain with the team that took him to the second overall selection in the 2004 draft.
“Evgeni is a generational talent who will be remembered as one of the greatest players in NHL history,” Penguins general manager Ron Hextall said in a statement. “His hockey resume and individual achievements speak volumes about him as a player, and we are thrilled to see him continue his remarkable legacy in Pittsburgh.”
The Pittsburgh core of Malkin, Letang and Crosby will remain together at least until 2025, when the Crosby agreement expires. Crosby made it clear he wanted the Penguins to find a way to keep their two long-time teammates at bay, with Hextall allowing “in a perfect world” the club to find a way to make it work.
At the last moment, it looks like the planets lined up.
The Penguins count on Malkin to be re-formed when he turns 30. Malkin missed half of last season while recovering from knee surgery. He scored 20 goals to finish with 22 assists in 41 games and added another three goals and three assists in the Pittsburgh first-round playoff loss to the New York Rangers.
Malkin has played more than 70 games in a season only once since he was named MVP in 2012.
Still, when he’s engaged he’s still a powerful scorer, especially in the power play. The immensely popular Malkin has thrived for a long time alongside Crosby. It is among the top five in most statistically important categories in franchise history, including games (981), goals (444), assists (702) and points (1,146).
The deal comes after several signings from the Penguins, who have reached the playoffs 16 consecutive seasons but have not passed the first round since 2018.
In addition to returning to Letang on a six-year contract, Pittsburgh signed forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell for long overtime.
Malkin’s signing means the Penguins won’t have much money to spend on the open market as they try to keep the Stanley Cup window open with their core aging.
Returning to Malkin indicates that Hextall and the president of hockey operations, Brian Burke, believe there is enough left in Malkin’s tank to keep the Penguins in the mix in the Metropolitan Division.
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