The Pittsburgh Penguins were a staple in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this century, but they have fallen on hard times in recent years. Despite having Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin still in the fold, the Penguins have been largely uncompetitive over the last few years.

Now, as Crosby and Malkin enter the late stages of their careers, the Penguins have some tough decisions to make on some of their franchise legends as they start to look forward to the future and building back into a contender.

Malkin is entering his 20th season in the NHL, all in Pittsburgh, but his contract will be up in the summer of 2026. This upcoming campaign will be his final season with the Penguins, according to Josh Yohe of The Athletic.

“While it remains unclear if future Hall of Fame center will retire following the 2025-26 season, the Penguins are not expected to offer him another contract with the franchise, sources within the organization said,” Yohe reported.

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Malkin is a mainstay in Pittsburgh and has stated before that he doesn't want to play for any team other than the Penguins during his career. Of course, the soon-to-be 39-year old could choose to retire at the end of next season after one last ride with the Pens in the city he calls home.

The Russian is not only one of the best players in Pittsburgh franchise history, but he is one of the top players on the ice in his generation. He won three Stanley Cups with the Penguins and has been an elite player during nearly their entire reign at the top of the Eastern Conference.

For his career, Malkin has 514 goals and 832 assists, so he has been a constant staple of the Penguins offense during his career. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs back in 2009 and won the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP in 2011-12, so there is no question that he is going in the Penguins' Hall of Fame when he retires.

Unfortunately, his time with the franchise is coming to an end. However, expect many nice moments and tributes for Malkin during his final season with the team, and maybe in the NHL, in 2025-26.