- Sidney Crosby called Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang “like family” after Pittsburgh’s first-round elimination by the Flyers
- Malkin is set for unrestricted free agency this summer, while Crosby has a year left at $8.7 million
- Read below for the full quote, where each contract stands, and the offseason questions facing Pittsburgh
The Penguins’ season ended Wednesday night, and Sidney Crosby walked off the ice still hoping to share the room with the same two guys he’s shared it with for 20 years.
After Cam York’s overtime winner sent Pittsburgh home in Game 6, Crosby was asked about the futures of Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. His answer left the door wide open.
“They’re like family,” Crosby said. “Hopefully we can keep it going.”
Malkin is the most pressing question of the three. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent this summer, and he told reporters before this series that he wants to keep playing in Pittsburgh. “I hope it’s not over,” he said.
Letang is locked in through 2028. Erik Karlsson is signed through 2027.
Crosby’s deal has one year left at $8.7 million, with a full no-trade clause. He’ll be 39 by the time next season starts.
He played 68 games this year and put up 29 goals and 45 assists for 74 points. Then he led Pittsburgh back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
The trio has now played 20 seasons together as Penguins, the longest-tenured trinity in North American pro sports history. Three Stanley Cups. Twelve playoff appearances. A run nobody else in this league has come close to.
Crosby skated over to console Arturs Silovs after the final horn before heading down the tunnel. Per Taylor Haase of DK Pittsburgh Sports, neither Malkin nor Letang were in the room or available to talk after the loss.
The captain’s comments since the season started haven’t sounded like someone ready to walk away. When asked about Alex Ovechkin’s possible retirement, he told The Athletic, “It would be so weird if he’s not around anymore.” He spoke like someone planning to come back.
Whether Malkin returns is GM Kyle Dubas’s first big call of the offseason. The simplest read on Crosby’s answer is that he wants Dubas to find a way.
