- Malkin told reporters Friday he wants “to be retired in Pittsburgh” with his contract up after the season
- The 39-year-old says the call belongs to GM Kyle Dubas and the Penguins’ new ownership group
- Read below for the full quotes ahead of a do-or-die Game 4 against the Flyers
Evgeni Malkin isn’t entertaining the idea of a goodbye in Pittsburgh.
The 39-year-old center spoke with reporters Friday after Penguins practice in Voorhees, with his team trailing the Flyers 3-0 in the first round and his contract winding down. Malkin’s message was the same one he’s been giving for months, only with more weight behind it.
“I want to be here, I want to be part of the team next year, too, and I want to be retired in Pittsburgh,” Malkin said, per NHL.com.
The catch came right after. “But it’s not my choice,” he added. “You know, it’s Kyle’s decision and it’s the new owners probably, too.”
Malkin is in the final year of a four-year, $24.4 million contract he signed in July 2022. He becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1. His agent J.P. Barry and GM Kyle Dubas agreed to push contract talks to after the playoffs, with the Penguins’ decision on Malkin’s future still wide open.
The Penguins need a win Saturday in Game 4 to force a Game 5 back in Pittsburgh. Lose, and Malkin’s 20-season run as a Penguin could be over.
Sidney Crosby wasn’t biting on questions Friday about whether Saturday could be Malkin’s last in black and gold.
“I don’t think that does any good, to be honest with you,” Crosby said. “I think it’s just all about what’s best suited to go out there and be at your best and enjoy it.”
Malkin’s been one of the few bright spots in this series, leading Pittsburgh with three points (two goals, one assist) through three games. His Penguins legacy is locked in either way. He sits third in franchise history with 1,407 regular-season points, trailing only Crosby and Mario Lemieux. Three Stanley Cup rings (2009, 2016, 2017) speak for themselves.
Whether the Penguins want one more year of him is the question hanging over Game 4.
