Kyle Dubas Eager to Re-Sign Evgeni Malkin for Next Season

Pittsburgh Penguins fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief regarding the future of longtime star forward Evgeni Malkin. At his season-ending press conference on Tuesday, Penguins’ general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas provided a hopeful update on the contract negotiations with Malkin, who is poised to become a free agent this summer at the age of 40.

Concerns had arisen among fans about the team’s potential shift towards a younger roster, which could lead to Malkin not being re-signed. However, Dubas was clear about his intentions, expressing a strong desire to keep the veteran forward in Pittsburgh. “We’ve had discussions. Obviously, we had a great exit interview with Evgeni directly. Then, subsequently, we’ve had continued discussions with he and his representative, J.P. Barry,” Dubas said. “The season that he’s had, where we’re at, where we’re going, I don’t look at our younger players and think that they’ve done enough to have a view that he’s blocking anybody out in that regard. We would love to have him back. We’ll just continue to work with J.P. on it. That’s as clear as I can be.”

Dubas also highlighted Malkin’s impressive performance this season, noting how his intermittent breaks due to injury may have played a role in his success. After returning from injury in December, Malkin developed strong chemistry with teammates Egor Chinakhov and center Tommy Novak, which Dubas believes contributed positively to his game. “Every time he came back from being out, he played his best hockey, we felt,” Dubas remarked. “I think that’s one thing to it. The other part is he shifted away from center after the injury in December onto the wing. I thought he and Tommy and Egor Chinakhov there – especially during that stretch – right away had great chemistry. I think it helped reduce some of the load on him, as well.”

As Malkin approaches the free agency deadline of July 1, Dubas continues to engage with his camp, aiming to retain one of the great players of all time. This past season, Malkin tallied 19 goals and 61 points in 56 games, along with two goals and three points in six playoff appearances. The Penguins organization is clearly focused on securing his future, ensuring that Malkin remains a key part of their squad moving forward.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.