Malkin signs one-year deal with Penguins

PITTSBURGH — Veteran Penguins center Evgeni Malkin has re-signed for one more year.

The team confirmed on Tuesday, first in an email to season ticketholders, then in a release to the public, that 39-year-old Malkin is returning on a one-year contract extension with an AAV of $5.5 million.

Insiders report that the contract could go up to $9 million with bonuses.

Malkin’s contract could go up to $9M if he hits all bonuses:

There is $500K in games-played available

$1M for playoff qualification

$500K per playoff round won https://t.co/cmX4Wcmbnr
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 26, 2026

The Penguins shared a video of Malkin signing his contract, where he says, “Best city, best fans, I stay one more year...Best day in my life.”

Best day ever. pic.twitter.com/qiqShuCEyH
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 26, 2026

On his own X account, Malkin expressed his gratitude to stay with the only NHL team he’s ever played with.

Today i agreed on new deal with Pens. I am so happy to stay here, in my favourite hockeytown! Thanks to you fans!
— Evgeni Malkin (@emalkin71geno) June 13, 2013

Immediately upon the Penguins’ loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Maklin made it known he wanted to return to the team. Still, he kept the door open to playing with another team if a deal never came to fruition in Pittsburgh and he became an unrestricted free agent.

Malkin’s teammates made it clear they wanted him back, too.

“I think it’s clear that I’d love to be playing with Geno for longer,” Sidney Crosby said during locker room cleanout.

“All I want to say about that is, I love Geno,” Bryan Rust said. “I love Geno as a friend and as a teammate. I don’t know life in the NHL without him. He’s a guy who’s taught me a lot over the years, just watching how he does everything and how he handles himself and how he handles a lot of the outside pressures.

So did many Penguins fans, who wrote messages to Geno during the team’s annual paint the ice event.

Malkin, a three-time Stanley Cup Champion, ranks in the top-three in team history in all major statistical categories, including games played, goals, assists, points, power-play goals, game-winning goals and overtime goals.

Among the entire league, Malkin ranks fourth in goals and third in assists and points.

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