It’s possible that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have played their last game together as Pittsburgh Penguins, though don’t tell them that.
The superstar duo has been going strong for more than two decades now, but with Malkin’s expiring contract, there is at least some uncertainty surrounding his future in Pittsburgh. Because of that, Crosby was recently asked what it would be like to play without his nearly career-long teammate, and he sounded almost taken aback by the idea, making it clear he still expects No. 71 to be right there with him.
“I’ve just always expected to be playing with him. I don’t know. After talking with everyone at the end of the year, it felt like it was in a good place in terms of getting something done. I stopped trying to project things a long time ago,” he explained. “I try not to forecast or think ahead. I’ve found out many times that doing that can be a bad idea
I’m a player. If Kyle asks me for my opinion, I’ll share it. I’m comfortable with that. But I’m definitely not trying to pick our roster. I think everybody knows how I feel about Geno at this point. I think everybody knows what I think he means to our team, what he’s done for the organization for 20 years. It goes without saying,”
The 39-year-old Malkin is a pending UFA having just played out the fourth and final year of the four-year, $24.4 million contract extension he signed with the Penguins back in 2022. He had a great 2025-26 season, tallying 61 points (19 goals, 42 assists) in just 56 games played.
Extending Malkin should be no issue for GM Kyle Dubas for a variety of reasons. The future Hall of Famer remains one of Pittsburgh’s most productive players, wants to stay, and likely won’t cost all that much on a new deal. On the flip side, the Penguins have an abundance of cap space and still need high-end talent up front, so there’s little reason for a breakup here.
Until pen is put to paper, anything is possible, but it would come as a major shock to see Malkin anywhere other than Pittsburgh in 2026-27.
Next: Sidney Crosby Won’t Be Retiring from the NHL Anytime Soon
