Malkin Seeks One More Year With Crosby, Letang — Nhl Teams

Evgeni Malkin wants one more year with Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang, even as nhl teams around the Penguins face an offseason built around a core that has lasted 20 years. Pittsburgh’s playoff return ended with a six-game loss to Philadelphia, and Malkin said he would like the trio to keep going together.

Malkin’s playoff return

Malkin said missing the playoffs for the previous three years was the worst feeling, then tied his future to one more run with Crosby and Letang. He said, "At least if me, Sid, Tanger play together, play one time in playoffs, like, one more time – who knows if win, lose – I love this," and later added, "Now I want more, you know?"

The Penguins reached the postseason for the first time since 2022, then were eliminated by Philadelphia in the opening round. Malkin called playoff hockey special and said, "I want to play again, for sure. It’s special two guys for me. Love to play together. And yeah, we're not happy we lost, but we try to fight every game. But sometimes, you're losing. But again, these two special guys. I hope we play together one more year, but if not, I have great 20 years together. And never forget."

Dubas, Crosby, Letang

The contract piece makes the statement more than nostalgia. Malkin was entering the last year of his current deal when he spoke during season ticket delivery, and Kyle Dubas said his future in Pittsburgh would be decided after the season.

Crosby and Letang backed the same idea at the team’s final media availability of the season. Crosby said, "It's tough. 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," then added, "I think it’s pretty obvious that I’d love to keep playing with him." Letang said, "We're really close, all of us – me, Geno, Sid. You just want to keep it going," and, "You don't know anything other than that. You get so close with these guys that you want to keep it going."

Malkin at 39

The numbers from his season show why the discussion is still live. Malkin finished with 19 goals and 61 points in 56 games, and he missed 26 games because of injuries and suspension. He also spent time on wing after returning from one of those injuries, a change from the center position he had played virtually his entire career, and he skated a lot with Egor Chinakhov after the move.

Bryan Rust said Malkin was eager to prove he was still an unbelievable player, and Letang said, "Geno is a pure talent," adding that he put even more work into his game as he got older. At 39 years old, Malkin has already made clear he wants another season beside Crosby and Letang; the next call belongs to Pittsburgh’s front office after a year that ended too soon for a team that finally got back to the playoffs.