Evgeni Malkin ''devastated'' with how his contract talks are going
The Pittsburgh Penguins have gone through a lot the past few years. A shift in management came about when it was rumored that Ray Shero wanted to completely tear down and rebuild, while ownership wanted to get Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang another Cup.
Malkin's belief in that idea has never wavered. He had enough belief in them in 2021 that he suffered through the playoffs with two torn ligaments in his knee knowing what that meant surgery and extensive rehab heading into his final offseason of this contract. He assumed the team he had given his entire career to would take care of him, and apparently they had ensured him as much.
But what Evgeni Malkin is to Fenway Sports Group and Ron Hextall is not the same as what he was to Mario Lemieux. Sources close to Lemieux have said that it was very important to him to have Crosby and Malkin retire as penguins. Especially after Jagr's contentious departure in 2001, which has led to him distancing himself from the organization's alumni activities, and them refusing to honour him in any way despite bringing them their first 2 Stanley Cups, and 5 scoring titles.
Talks with Malkin's agent JP Barry had started last September, but were quickly halted when Fenway Sports Group bought majority ownership in the team. Suddenly all the talk about promises and legacy seemed null and void, and Hextall changed his tune to say that it "probably made sense" to delay contract talks until he was recovered.
"They think I'm not good anymore...."
Evgeni Malkin in text messages to The Athletic.
Per league and team sources, those talks included an offer of 2 years at $6 million per year, which was then raised to 3 years. But Malkin feels disrespected by the lack of movement in Penguins management to get a deal done. He wants to retire a Penguin, and doesn't want to spend the twilight of his career negotiating a new deal every summer. Known as an emotional guy both on and off the ice, his friends and teammates are worried. So much so, that Sidney Crosby took the time to visit him in South Florida recently, and not to sway him into signing. He simply wanted to check on his friend, who by all accounts is taking these negotiations hard.
https://theathletic.com/3410673/2022/07/09/penguins-evgeni-malkin-contract-free-agent?source=user-shared-article
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 10 | 400 ANSWERS Evgeni Malkin ''devastated'' with how his contract talks are going How much should the Pens pay/for how long for Malkin to retire a Penguin? | ||
| 4 years $6 million AAV | 88 | 22 % |
| 4 years $5 million AAV | 81 | 20.3 % |
| 3 years $6 million is more than fair | 124 | 31 % |
| Nohing, let him walk | 107 | 26.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
