Penguins, Malkin agree to 4-year, $24.4M contract
Geno isn't going anywhere, after all.
Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins have agreed to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $6.1 million on the eve of free agency.
The contract also contains a full no-movement clause, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Recent reports indicated that Malkin would hit the open market. He even apparently texted some of his Penguins teammates that the front office thinks he's "not good anymore." There appeared to be serious tension between the two sides.
But that's likely water under the bridge now. The new pact will keep Malkin in Pittsburgh through his age-39 campaign and possibly through the end of his storied playing career.
"Evgeni is a generational talent who will be remembered as one of the greatest players in NHL history," general manager Ron Hextall said. "His hockey resume and individual accomplishments speak volumes about him as a player, and we are thrilled to watch him continue his remarkable legacy in Pittsburgh."
The center's new contract also comes in at the same AAV that Kris Letang received on his new deal, although the defenseman received two additional years.
Malkin ranks third behind Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby on the Penguins' all-time franchise leaderboards in goals (444), assists (702), and points (1,146) through 981 games. He's won numerous accolades in his 16-year career, including three Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Award, a Hart Trophy, two Art Ross Trophies, a Ted Lindsay Award, and a Calder Trophy.
The 35-year-old can still play despite missing the first half of the season while recovering from offseason knee surgery. Malkin recorded 20 goals and 22 assists in 41 games this past campaign while adding three goals and three assists in seven postseason contests.
The Penguins appear set to run it back with primarily the same group in 2022-23. The club re-signed trade deadline pickup Rickard Rakell on Monday and now has just $4.2 million in cap space this offseason, with no remaining UFAs and only one RFA in Kasperi Kapanen.