Malkin Won't Say If 2026-27 Is His Last Season
Entering his 21st season with Pittsburgh at age 40, Evgeni Malkin says his health and ability to help the team will determine what comes next.
Evgeni Malkin is not ready to say whether his 21st NHL season will be his last.
The 40-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins center said Friday that his health and ability to help the team win will determine whether he plays beyond 2026-27.
"It's a hard question," Malkin said. "We'll see what's going on during the season. Right now, I want to say, 'Yes,' to playing longer. But we'll see how my body feels."
Malkin said he does not want to stay in the lineup if he cannot perform at his usual level.
"If my game helps the team to win, I will," he said. "If not, I'm retired."
Malkin had 19 goals and 42 assists in 56 games last season, averaging more than a point per game for the first time since 2022-23. Pittsburgh finished second in the Metropolitan Division before losing to Philadelphia in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
He signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract in May that runs through this season. The deal kept him with the only NHL organization he has played for since Pittsburgh selected him second overall in the 2004 draft.
Malkin enters the season with 1,407 career points, 14 behind Adam Oates for 20th on the NHL's all-time list. He will also begin a 21st season alongside Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang.
"I think last year I showed my good games, and I am excited to be here," Malkin said. "I'm here to win."
