Forward Evgeni Malkin eschewed free agency as he agreed on a four-year, $24.4 million extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.
The deal, announced by general manager Ron Hextall, runs through the 2025-26 season.
Multiple reports Monday had indicated that Malkin would not re-sign with the Penguins before free agency begins Wednesday. However, Malkin, 35, will remain in the city where he has spent his entire 16-year career.
“Evgeni is a generational talent who will be remembered as one of the greatest players in NHL history,” Hextall said in a statement. “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 No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, Malkin has won three Stanley Cups with the Penguins and is a four-time All-Star. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player in 2011-12, as well as the 2009 Conn Smythe Trophy (Stanley Cup playoffs MVP).
In 981 career games, Malkin has totaled 1,146 points (444 goals, 702 assists) while primarily centering Pittsburgh’s second forward line behind Sidney Crosby. He led the NHL in points twice: 2008-09 (113 points) and 2011-12 (109).
Malkin missed much of the past two seasons due to a right knee injury that required offseason surgery. In 41 games in 2021-22, he averaged just more than a point per game (20 goals, 22 assists).
–Field Level Media
