Evgeni Malkin done in the NHL? Massive and unexpected development shocks fans
Even though he has a contract that ties him to the Pittsburgh Penguins until 2026, the next season could be the last in the NHL for Evgeni Malkin.
This was reported by the journalist from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Mark Madden, during a recent edition of his radio show. The Russian forward would return home, to Russia, to finish his career and might wear the uniform of his hometown, Magnitogorsk.
Soon the end of the NHL for Evgeni Malkin?
If this news is surprising, especially after 18 seasons in the NHL and 1,145 regular season games (and 177 playoff games), he wouldn't be the first to do so.
As Maxime Truman of the site DLC reminds us, Evgeny Kuznetsov recently broke his contract with the Hurricanes to sign in the KHL with SKA. He could soon be followed by Valeri Nichushkin, whose rumors also link him to SKA.
It will be interesting to see if the Penguins will allow their veteran player to leave. If they lose a big name, they would, however, free up a significant amount of cap space, $6.1M. This is not negligible for a team that will have to sign no fewer than nine players in the summer of 2025, including a certain Sidney Crosby.
Speaking of the Pens' captain, many expect him to sign long-term with the club in the coming days. However, one has to wonder if this news regarding his longtime teammate will change things.
Before the start of last season, Malkin mentioned wanting to play the last three seasons of his contract before ending his hockey career in the KHL. Such a drastic change of mind is concerning in Pittsburgh if the rumor is true.
But seeing how the organization seems to be going nowhere, especially since Kyle Dubas took over, it's not so surprising.
A case to follow...
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