Off-season rumors and speculation about the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to surface, as well as questions about Trevor Zegras.

Lost amid the hubbub over Sidney Crosby's contract extension talks with the Pittsburgh Penguins was a rumor claiming Evgeni Malkin could cut short his contract to return to Russia.

On Aug. 5, Tim Benz of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review cited colleague Mark Madden claiming he'd heard Malkin wouldn't be back after next season. The 38-year-old center would forgo the final season of his contract and finish his playing career in Russia. Madden wondered what effect that might have on Crosby's contract talks. 

Madden also said that he'd heard there were discussions about moving Kris Letang to the Montreal Canadiens at Letang's request, but nothing came of it.

Three days later, The Athletic's Rob Rossi reported Malkin hadn't thought about an early NHL retirement. 

“Not true,” was his blunt reply. However, Madden subsequently doubled down on his claim.

As for Letang, rumors linked him to the Canadiens during negotiations for his current contract. He dismissed that talk before signing his deal with the Penguins.

Given the Canadiens' rebuilding program, they're unlikely to acquire a 37-year-old puck-moving defenseman carrying a $6.1-million annual cap hit through 2027-28.

Meanwhile, Trevor Zegras continues to surface in the rumor mill. 

There was talk last season claiming the Anaheim Ducks were fielding inquiries about the 23-year-old center, something GM Pat Verbeek denied following the March 8 trade deadline.

A reader recently asked The Athletic's Arthur Staple about conjecture linking Zegras to the New York Rangers. He said he didn't think the Rangers had much interest in the youngster, as much as the local kid would love to play for the Blueshirts. 

A lack of cap space could be one reason. With just over $623,000 in cap space, the Rangers couldn't afford Zegras' $5.75-million cap hit even if they wanted to acquire him. 

Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.