{"id":405084,"date":"2026-01-13T19:15:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T19:15:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/405084\/"},"modified":"2026-01-13T19:15:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T19:15:06","slug":"will-the-penguins-change-course-and-offer-evgeni-malkin-another-contract-mailbag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/405084\/","title":{"rendered":"Will the Penguins change course and offer Evgeni Malkin another contract?: Mailbag"},"content":{"rendered":"

PITTSBURGH \u2014 Welcome to the second installment of my January mailbag. Part 1 can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Penguins\u2019 wild roller coaster chugs along with a sudden two-game losing streak and a visit from the hot Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. Like everything else over the past few months, it should be fascinating.<\/p>\n

Thanks for all of the great questions, as always.<\/p>\n

Away we go.<\/p>\n

Hey Josh, hope the holidays were great to you and your family! How likely do you think it is that the team and Evgeni Malkin will try to hammer out an extension over the Olympic break? \u2014 @UTN2722<\/p>\n

Well, we\u2019re about to find out.<\/p>\n

I reported last summer that the Penguins had no intention of giving Malkin a new contract. At the time, that was 100 percent the case. I can\u2019t emphasize this enough.<\/p>\n

Of course, Malkin has had a terrific season and is clearly playing at a higher level than he did last season. So, does this change things for Kyle Dubas and the rest of the Penguins\u2019 brass?<\/p>\n

We\u2019re about to find out. Dubas will speak with Malkin\u2019s representatives in February, a check-in that both sides had agreed upon before the season. Those plans are still on.<\/p>\n

I can tell you that Malkin was furious when he was told about my report last summer. He knows retirement isn\u2019t far away, but my sense from being around him this season is that he wants to play at least one more year. He is said to be willing to play for considerably less money than what he\u2019s currently making, and willing to take on a lesser role with the Penguins merely to stick around.<\/p>\n

Sounds great, right? Gotta sign him, right?<\/p>\n

Maybe.<\/p>\n

There is no question that he\u2019s enjoying a strong season. But I\u2019ll remind you of these tidbits:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Malkin turns 40 in July, and it\u2019s probably not reasonable to assume he\u2019ll continue playing at this level, even a year from now.<\/p>\n

\u2022 He has missed 12 or more games in 11 of the past 14 seasons. If you\u2019re Dubas and you sign him, the odds are against getting a full season out of Malkin.<\/p>\n

\u2022 At some point, the Penguins need to move on and get younger, right?<\/p>\n

At the moment, Malkin is still one of the Penguins\u2019 best players. I don\u2019t know how this situation is going to unfold. People within the organization are pleased with how Malkin has played this season, and understandably so. He\u2019s been terrific.<\/p>\n

However, if the front office decides to bring Malkin back, it\u2019ll have to call an audible. Sidney Crosby, no doubt, will want Malkin back, so I wouldn\u2019t be shocked if Crosby and\/or his agent, Pat Brisson, put pressure on Penguins management to get a deal done.<\/p>\n

With the Penguins winning and Malkin back, how do the lines shake out the rest of the season? \u2014 @cgibson724<\/p>\n

We are seeing all kinds of combinations right now, and Bryan Rust\u2019s injury played a role in this.<\/p>\n

When the Penguins are completely healthy \u2014 let\u2019s assume they get there \u2014 you\u2019ll see Crosby stay with Rust and Rickard Rakell.<\/p>\n

At some point, I think you\u2019ll see Malkin centering Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau again.<\/p>\n

This leaves Ben Kindel centering Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov on the third line. Then, the Blake Lizotte, Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar could remain intact as the fourth line.<\/p>\n

Obviously, this leaves Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen and Kevin Hayes as the odd men out. But I can only base things on what I\u2019m seeing.<\/p>\n

Why haven\u2019t the Penguins traded for a right-handed top 4 defenseman yet to replace Letang? \u2014 @allenKevin<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t just snap your fingers and get one of those guys. It\u2019s not that simple.<\/p>\n

Do you believe the Pens are on an upward or downward track, not in standings but as for years to come post-Big 3, with the current prospects, drafts picks and cap space, to contend and not be in a rut for a long time? \u2014 @BroadhurstZane<\/p>\n

Oh, they\u2019re on an upward track. The organization looks night and day from even a year ago. Early indications are that Dubas nailed the 2025 draft. The Penguins now have a real system, with talent coming in waves at different positions in upcoming years.<\/p>\n

The future is pretty bright.<\/p>\n

Dubas\u2019 biggest chore will be landing star power in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

Is it possible that the Hoffmann family would consider selling a stake to Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle once they own the team? And could the bad blood between Mario and FSG have kept them out of the running for something like that at this stage? \u2014 @GrizzlyAdam930<\/p>\n

Of course it\u2019s possible. If I were a member of the Hoffmann family, the first thing I\u2019d do is give No. 66 a call. Anything else would be idiotic. Having Lemieux involved \u2014 even in a limited capacity \u2014 is an easy path to credibility. It just makes sense.<\/p>\n

Tension between Mario and Fenway Sports Group is no secret, but it\u2019s in the rearview mirror at this point.<\/p>\n

Assuming over the course of their careers Malkin and Crosby have asked to play (or not play) with certain guys on their line\u2026 Do you have insight into how that conversation goes? I just imagine potential for awkwardness if a guy gets bumped from one of their lines upon request. Ha ha. \u2014 @samfrisby3<\/p>\n

This is a great question. I sense that Crosby, while having a more passive personality, is the alpha in their relationship. I don\u2019t think Malkin ever complains about linemates, nor do I think he stresses all that much about whom he plays with.<\/p>\n

Crosby and former Penguins coach Mike Sullivan used to have very long, animated conversations about Crosby\u2019s linemates. Sullivan and Crosby remain extremely close, but they did not always see eye to eye. Sullivan, for instance, loved Crosby with Patric Hornqvist. Crosby loves Hornqvist as a player and as a person, but he didn\u2019t think Hornqvist was a good fit on his line.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not that Crosby is a diva \u2014 far from it. But he\u2019s incredibly picky and quirky, and when he\u2019s comfortable with a linemate, you just have to let him ride it out. Malkin, as best I can tell, really doesn\u2019t care who he plays with.<\/p>\n

Any chances the NHL lets the Pens host another outdoor game for Sid? Would love it at PNC, backdrop alone. Pens are the only team that has hosted twice at the same place. Everyone else that has done it twice has done football and baseball stadiums. \u2014 @AndiorioD\u00a0<\/p>\n

It would not surprise me at all. With all due respect to our friends in Florida, the league should have had a Pittsburgh-Washington Winter Classic this season, in case it\u2019s the final season for Malkin and Alex Ovechkin. It would have been a great scene. They should have done it in Washington.<\/p>\n

Alas, they did not.<\/p>\n

It would be a nice gesture to have another Winter Classic in Pittsburgh to celebrate Crosby. I suspect it will happen at some point in the next few years. The Penguins have made it clear to the NHL over the years that they\u2019re far more interested in hosting outdoor games than they are hosting the NHL All-Star Game.<\/p>\n

Which movie did you like better, \u201cSudden Death\u201d or \u201cStriking Distance\u201d? \u2014 @EricWall283961<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen both, and I\u2019m sorry if I\u2019m losing my Yinzer Card, but I don\u2019t particularly care for either. I have a great \u201cStriking Distance\u201d story, but I can\u2019t put it in print. Feel free to ask me if we run into each other sometime.<\/p>\n

If I had to pick, I\u2019d go with \u201cSudden Death.\u201d Paul Steigerwald\u2019s performance should have netted him, at the very least, an Oscar nomination. I think we can all agree on that.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your go-to for getting yourself out of a sad mood? \u2014 @stefdin\u00a0<\/p>\n

When I\u2019m really sad, I like to listen to music. Sad music, specifically. It creates something of a reverse effect and makes me happier. Not happy, but happier. Does anyone else do this, or am I the only one?<\/p>\n

I also find that a trip to Dairy Queen always seems to help.<\/p>\n

Or, when I\u2019m really in a mood, I\u2019ll spin a globe or, this being 2026, will scroll through my maps app on my phone and pretend I\u2019m wherever my finger is pointing to after I open my eyes.<\/p>\n

All right, that\u2019s enough therapy for one day.<\/p>\n

Would you buy 2026-27 Steelers or Penguins season tix? \u2014 @bob_pav\u00a0<\/p>\n

Oh, the Penguins, easily. They\u2019re fun. They\u2019re refreshing. You get to see Crosby and Malkin, maybe together for the final time, as they try to will the Penguins to the playoffs. You just can\u2019t beat it.<\/p>\n

Also, while I admit I can still be a sucker for the atmosphere created on the North Side and I enjoy going to a Steelers game once a year, the NFL is a horribly overrated experience in person.<\/p>\n

With the Post-Gazette closing, what\u2019s your outlook for the future of sports media? Where do you see the future of sports media going? \u2014 @MichaelPagani\u00a0<\/p>\n

First, let me say that I hate what is happening to the Post-Gazette. It doesn\u2019t surprise me in the least that it has happened, but I hate it and I wish everyone there the very best.<\/p>\n

When I was a kid in the \u201990s, I used to devour that sports section. Ed Bouchette and Gerry Dulac on the Steelers. Dave Molinari on the Penguins. Paul Meyer on the Pirates. Frequent columns from Bob Smizik, Ron Cook, Gene Collier, Bruce Keidan, Stan Savran and Mark Madden.<\/p>\n

Talk about some legendary names. When I heard the news last week, I immediately drifted back to my childhood and remembered how much I loved reading that sports section every day. So, it\u2019s all kinds of depressing.<\/p>\n

The future of sports media? I wish I had a better answer for you, but I know it\u2019s not in print. It\u2019s all about the internet, and it\u2019s been that way for a while. I don\u2019t know where we\u2019re headed. I just hope it\u2019s somewhere good, where journalism still matters and the talented, hard-working people in this industry can do their thing.<\/p>\n

Thanks so much for all of your questions. I have lots of good stuff planned for the upcoming Western Canada trip and am looking forward to bringing it your way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PITTSBURGH \u2014 Welcome to the second installment of my January mailbag. Part 1 can be found here. The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":405085,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[385,1790,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-405084","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-nhl","9":"tag-pittsburgh-penguins","10":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=405084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405084\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/405085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=405084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=405084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=405084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}