Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby delivered a hopeful message about the future of his longtime teammate Evgeni Malkin, saying recent contract discussions between the organization and the veteran center have reached a promising stage.
Speaking from the World Championship in Switzerland, Crosby indicated that the end-of-season conversations left him feeling encouraged about Malkin’s chances of staying in Pittsburgh.
Evgeni Malkin will turn 40 this summer and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
“I’ve just always expected to be playing with him,” Crosby said via NY Times. “After talking with everyone at the end of the year, it felt like it was in a good place in terms of getting something done.
He also expressed a preference for resolving the situation sooner rather than later, referencing past negotiations that dragged into the summer and created unnecessary uncertainty.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been central to the Penguins’ success for nearly two decades, arriving as young phenoms in the mid-2000s and anchoring three Stanley Cup championship teams.
Crosby has made no secret of his desire to continue their on-ice partnership, describing their connection as one that goes far beyond hockey. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas has previously voiced the organization’s interest in retaining Malkin.
With the team coming off another early playoff exit, a short-term deal for the veteran forward appears to be the most likely path to take as Pittsburgh tries to blend its veteran leadership with younger players moving up the roster.
Sidney Crosby clears the air around retirement speculation
Sidney Crosby made it clear he has no immediate thoughts of hanging up his skates. The 38-year-old superstar addressed ongoing speculation about his future:
“Not at all… I said year to year because of where the team is at,” he said. “It just makes sense, whether it’s our cap, who we have coming in and out, just to have that flexibility. It’s important,” Crosby said via NY Times.
He added:
“Yeah, I’m saying year to year based on contracts,” he explained. “It just seems to make sense. I mean, it could change. We’ll see. Kyle (Dubas) and I haven’t even talked about it. But I’ll talk with Pat (Brisson) and Kyle later this summer. We’ll talk about it and do what makes sense. If it does make sense to sign for a couple of years, then we’ll do that.”
Meanwhile, Sidney Crosby and Team Canada are atop the Group B standings with 14 points at the World Championship. Their next game is against Slovakia on Sunday.
Edited by Abhishek Dilta