Talks between the Pittsburgh Penguins and their star free agents could be heading for a breakthrough.
Just over three weeks into the offseason, the Pittsburgh Penguins have already been hard at work laying the foundation for next year's team. Since signing Bryan Rust to a six-year deal, the Penguins have remained quiet despite facing a turbulent summer. Finally, we have an update on how general manager Ron Hextall has spent his time since we last saw him speak.
According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, the Penguins have had "ongoing dialogue" with Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang since the team was eliminated from the playoffs. Lebrun cites the discussions as being continuous and overall positive.
At his end-of-year press conference, Penguins general manager Ron Hextall explicitly discussed the Penguins desire to bring back both star players this summer on multiple occasions. "These two, they're generational players," Hextall said to reporters. "They don't come around very often. We would like to keep them here through the end of their careers. Obviously, we have some issues in areas we have to work through in terms of the salary cap. Everything has to match up. It's a puzzle right now."
Of the two, the Penguins seem to be further along with Malkin on a potential extension. Malkin spoke openly, albeit briefly, about his contract situation throughout the season, mainly stating his desire to return and how he is "a pretty rich guy." Malkin may share the same desire as Penguins management to retire in Pittsburgh alongside his long-time teammate Sidney Crosby, who has three years left on his current deal.
According to LeBrun, the Malkin camp has proposed a few different concepts, but both sides are still searching for a breakthrough.
Coming off of a career year, Letang could fetch a massive deal on the open market but has continued dialogue with the Penguins in hopes of staying in Pittsburgh. While talks with Letang remain positive, the 35-year-old defenseman is searching for a bit more term in his next deal, giving Penguins management pause considering the position and amount Letang plays every night.
All indications are that talks remain positive, and we could be seeing a breakthrough in one, or both, of these deals in the coming weeks.
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