Evgeni Malkin understands quite well what a youth movement can mean.
He saw it firsthand two decades ago when he helped usher in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ greatest era as a 20-year-old along with a handful of 19-year-olds in Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang.
Today, approximately three months shy of his 40th birthday, Malkin understands another turn to youth — as is being orchestrated by president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas — is necessary.
Even if he is not part of that transition and skating in a different jersey.
“I want to play NHL, for sure,” Malkin said Friday in Cranberry during the team’s exit interviews for the season. “I know it’s not easy for Kyle. Maybe he wants new blood here. I understand it’s business, and I understand he wants maybe new team, see new faces here.
“But for me, I want to play one more year in the NHL. I’m not looking back to KHL, play in Russia. But if not Pittsburgh, I hope some team.”
Malkin enjoyed a productive-but-challenging 2025-26 season as he helped the Penguins return to the postseason for the first time since 2022.
In 56 games, Malkin posted 61 points (19 goals, 42 assists) while averaging 17 minutes, 36 seconds of ice time.
But injuries, most notably a wonky left shoulder that never quite healed, forced him to sit 20 games.
“It’s a little bit tough, but I feel that I can play next year, for sure,” Malkin said. “And I want to rest, like, two, three weeks, and start (to) work out right away. I want to be back stronger next year for sure. Still want to play hockey. This is the best game in the world. And just have fun, enjoy the game. With playoffs, (they) give me so much crazy emotion.
“And I want to play one more year, for sure.”
Where Malkin will play next year remains unresolved. All parties involved have agreed to table substantive discussions until deeper into the offseason.
The NHL’s free-agent signing period opens July 1.
“I mean, hard to say right now, but we have time,” Malkin said. “It’s a long summer, and I just do my same routine. Back to Russia, stay with my family, my friends, and we see what’s going on. Probably, I talk to Kyle today one more time before leaving, and we see what they think, and talk to my agent after. But right now, nothing new for you guys.”
Not having Malkin as a teammate would be a new sensation for Crosby and Letang.
“It’s tough,” Crosby said. “We’ll see what happens. We’ve played together for so long, I think it’s clear that I’d love to be playing with him for longer, so we’ll see what happens.
“It’s pretty obvious that I’d love to keep playing with him.”
The Penguins, obviously, would like to still be playing this season, but their 1-0 overtime loss to the rival Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of a first-round series Wednesday brought an end to a season that was largely successful by most measures.
The Penguins were not in the playoffs the previous three seasons and were largely expected to be a favorite to contend for the top overall selection in the NHL Draft in June.
Yet, they went 41-25-16 with 98 points and finished second in the Metropolitan Division.
“There’s a lot of positives,” Letang said. “Missing the playoffs was pretty hard on a group of guys that was … going to the postseason and into the playoffs for a long amount of time. I think to get back there and do it the way we did it, I think there’s a lot of positives.
“There’s a lot of younger guys on the team, and it’s a learning curve. And you can take a lot from it and learn.”
Did they learn enough to ensure this was substantive advancement toward returning as a true Stanley Cup contender that this season’s success won’t be a one-and-done return to the playoffs?
“We took some good steps,” Crosby said. “Just the way we came together, the way guys stepped up individually. You look at a lot of guys who had career years … I think that’s a reflection of guys’ individual play, but also as a group. I think the coaching staff, management, everyone deserves a lot of credit for that, but it’s a step.
“You’ve got to continue to grow and get better. It’s a starting point, though, for sure.”
The season was a literal starting point for rookie forward Ben Kindel. The 19-year-old earned a spot on the roster in training camp and largely held down the third-line center role.
He will be a part of this team’s immediate and long-term future.
“It was a golden opportunity for myself,” Kindel said. “Just trying to take advantage of every moment this year to learn and to take that stuff with me in the future throughout my career.”
Will Malkin’s career continue in Pittsburgh?
“I can’t see him not coming back,” said Penguins forward Rickard Rakell, Malkin’s neighbor as far as the dressing room stalls are concerned. “I’ll put it that way. The other thing (him signing elsewhere) hasn’t really come to my head yet. It probably won’t.
“He’s going to be back.”
Malkin acknowledges a decision on being back — particularly with Crosby and Letang — isn’t entirely his.
“I want to play again, for sure,” Malkin said. “It’s special two guys for me. Love to play together.
“I hope we play together one more year. But if not, I have great 20 years together. And never forget.”
