New update reveals unexpected turn in Malkin’s future
Pittsburgh Penguins fans, look away. Tyler Kennedy went on the record this week saying Evgeni Malkin will sign with the Washington Capitals if the Pens walk away.
The former Penguins forward played alongside Malkin during the team's Stanley Cup years. He knows the Russian.
He knows the room. And he's putting Washington as the landing spot if the contract talks in Pittsburgh fall apart.
Malkin is 39 years old and on the final year of a $3.8 million ticket. The center put up 61 points in 56 games during the regular season at a +13 rating.
That's not the production of a player ready to retire.
He added 3 points across 5 playoff games before the Pens got eliminated in overtime by the Flyers.
Sidney Crosby walked over to Arturs Silovs after the loss to console the rookie goaltender. Malkin watched his career window close one more notch.
Now the question of where Malkin plays next gets a real name attached. The Capitals make sense on paper.
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Alexander Ovechkin just finished his year at age 40 with 32 goals and 64 points. Two Russian icons. One last run.
Confirmed report connects Malkin to a potential Capitals signing
Ovechkin is locked in for one more year. The Capitals finished 43-30-9 with 95 points and 12th overall.
Pierre-Luc Dubois struggled through 29 injury-affected games. Dylan Strome posted 58 points as the second-line center. The team needs a veteran middle.
Malkin at $4 or $5 million on a one-year deal would slot directly into a top-six role. He gets to chase one more Cup with his countryman. Washington gets a future Hall of Famer for a fraction of his prime cost.
The Penguins side of the math is the harder one. Kyle Dubas inherited a roster that just got bounced in round one.
The general manager has been trying to retool this group for two summers without breaking the Crosby era.
Letting Malkin walk to a divisional rival is the kind of gut punch Pittsburgh fans have not had to swallow yet.
Crosby's contract runs through next season at $8.7 million. The captain stays. The question is whether Malkin and Kris Letang both stay alongside him.
Letang already had a phone hearing call ringing this week after his punch on Travis Konecny.
Tyler Kennedy gets the headline tonight. The decision is on Malkin. The summer in Pittsburgh is going to feel longer than the calendar says.
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YESTERDAY
APRIL 30, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Quinn Hughes | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Leo Carlsson | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Chris Kreider | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Troy Terry | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Matthew Boldy | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Cutter Gauthier | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mavrik Bourque | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Wyatt Johnston | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Connor Murphy | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Vasily Podkolzin | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Ryan Poehling | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Vladimir Tarasenko | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Michael Bunting | - | 1 | 1 | |
| John Carlson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Colton Dach | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Leon Draisaitl | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Matt Duchene | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Brock Faber | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Marcus Foligno | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Kasperi Kapanen | - | 1 | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||