Analyst Slams Penguins For Evgeni Malkin Deal

Evgeni Malkin will be with the Pittsburgh Penguins for life, but some believe he never should have re-signed.

PITTSBURGH – After 19 years in the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins are no stranger to insiders and analysts saying Sidney Crosby should depart for greener pastures. Crosby is a top five player of all time and there is firm belief he should continue chasing championships while he is still at the top of his game while the Penguins struggle as a group.

While the discourse around Crosby pops up every year, so does the idea that Evgeni Malkin should find a new home. The Penguins were close to seeing Malkin walk to free agency in 2022, but he stuck around with a contract extension that sealed him as a Penguin for life.

About a week earlier, the Penguins extended Kris Letang to an extension that locked him up to the same fate with the Penguins. The core of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang were all but guaranteed to only be Penguins.

While on TSN’s Overdrive, analyst Jeff O’Neill stated the Penguins should have just let Malkin walk to free agency when they had the chance.

“It should have just been Sid and Letang and not Geno,” O’Neill said. “They should have said ‘okay there’s the door,’ but they had to lock him in for three years.”

For what it’s worth, Malkin signed a four-year extension at $6.1 million annually.

Malkin had a great season in his first year of that new deal, playing all 82 games and recording 83 total points. This year hasn't been as satisfying, but he can still bring a huge punch of momentum.

During the months leading up to Malkin’s extension, there was a real possibility that he may finish his career with another team. Letting an aging center leave would have opened a lot of salary cap space for the Penguins to load up with younger talent.

Pittsburgh native Vincent Trocheck coming home to play second line center became a popular option among the fan base. Then led by Ron Hextall in the front office, the Penguins stood with their core and locked up Malkin and Letang.

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