Penguins News: Evgeni Malkin to test open market at start of free agency
By Jim Lynch
The Pittsburgh Penguins could end up saying goodbye to one of the most successful players in the history of the franchise on Wednesday. Long-time Penguin Evgeni Malkin is set to go to the open market on Wednesday according to Darren Dreger of TSN.
Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins have had a long time to come to an agreement on a contract extension.
The Penguins got Kris Letang on a contract extension earlier this offseason when he signed a massive six-year deal worth 6.1 million a season. The team also extended Bryan Rust to a six-year deal worth 5.125 million a season. The team has about 15 million in cap space to work with and it seems like keeping Malkin just is not going to work at this point.
It seems as if the Penguins and Malkin have disagreed on about everything they can up to this point when it comes to this extension. Whether it be the length or the term, the two teams are not in agreement.
Malkin is 36 years old and only played 41 games this past season. He has been struggling with some injuries the past few seasons including a knee injury that has included a few surgeries.
Despite his injuries and time missed, Malkin still hit 20 goals this past season and was just above a point per game type of player.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will miss Malkin if he decides to sign elsewhere on Wednesday. Pittsburgh is looking to keep their dynasty together and maybe chase one more championship with this current group, and in order to do that they are going to need Malkin.
Malkin on the other hand could bring in a big contract in free agency. Some team is going to jump on his experience and leadership and hope that he can be one of the big additions to make them a true contender for the Stanley Cup. Malkin truly does have control of his future!