According to The Athletic's Josh Yohe, Evgeni Malkin will play his final season as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2025-26 because the team is not expected to offer the star forward a new contract once his deal comes to an end after next season.
Yohe also noted that there is still no confirmation about whether or not Malkin will retire after next season.
Malkin, 38, is entering the final season of his four-year, $24.4 million contract in 2025-26. It will be his 20th season with the Penguins, which is undoubtedly a major deal.
If Malkin's time with the Penguins comes to an end after next season, he will be a very challenging player for the team to replace. The 2004 second-overall pick has been one of their best players for so long now and is still a key piece even while being in his late 30s. In 68 games this past season, the veteran forward recorded 16 goals and 50 points. This was after he had 27 goals and 67 points in 82 games with Pittsburgh in 2023-24.
In 1,213 career NHL games over 19 seasons with the Penguins, Malkin has posted 514 goals, 832 assists, 1,346 points, and a plus-28 rating. It will be interesting to see how he improves upon these career stats in what could very well end up being his last year as a Penguin.
