Penguins' Evgeni Malkin Reveals Post-NHL Plans

The Pittsburgh Penguins' forward told Russian reporters that he would love to end his playing career in his home country.

Apr 11, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) moves the puck against the Detroit Red Wings in overtime at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been one of the most successful NHL franchises of the Salary Cap era. With three Stanley Cups since 2009 and countless playoff appearances, it's been an incredible run for their team over the past two decades. Now the organization is heading towards a slow rebuild, but they still have a few years remaining with their superstar duo, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

At 37-years-old, Malkin knows his time in the NHL and with the Penguins is limited. He has just two years on his contract, and it's hard to see the Pens competing for a championship over the next two seasons.

Speaking to Russian news company TASS, the future Hall of Famer spoke about his desire to play in his native country again if his health permits. Malkin and Crosby are essentially joined at the hip in Pittsburgh, and both players want to compete together for at least a couple more seasons. After that, though, Malkin could be heading home.

"It's hard to make plans about a return," he said. "I still have two years left on my contract with Pittsburgh. I need to play these two years and see how it goes. The main thing is no injuries, and if, as Pavel Datsyuk says, there's a fire burning, you can't go out and do the number without it."

Malkin began his career with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL, where he rose to prominence as a teenager before making a daring departure to North America and the NHL. Throughout his NHL tenure, he's returned to the organization a few times. During the NHL lockout of 2012 Malkin returned to Magnitogorsk and dominated, racking up an absurd 65 points in 37 games.

In the meantime, the Penguins are still relying on Malkin to produce. This past season was the first real offensive regression of his career, if you can even call it that. He registered 27 goals and 67 points while playing in all 82 games for the second straight season. The output is impressive for a second-line center, let alone a 37-year-old one, but it's true that he is no longer the point-per-game player he once was.

As he noted, there are just two seasons remaining on Malkin's contract with the Penguins. In that time, he is sure to eclipse 1,300 career points in the NHL and cement himself as an all-time great. After that, don't be surprised if Malkin returns home and spends some time playing in the KHL.

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