Evgeni Malkin Could Sign With Pittsburghs Biggest Enemy?
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in a team in transition. After winning the stanley cup in 2009, then back to back in 2016 and 2017, you would have thought the core of the Pittsburgh Penguins of Crosby, Malkin and Letang would ride or die together until the wheels fall off. but it appears that might not be the case.
Evgeni Malkin is currently heading into his first time being a unrestricted Free Agent and is looking to get one last big payday in before he rides off into the sunset. Unfortunately in a salary cap era the Penguins don't have the money to give him that contract He just finished a contract with an AAV of $9.5 million, which with his current decline and health issues, Malkin will obviously won't be asking that high of a salary, but could get somewhere between $7-8 million annually.
The Penguins have prioritized trying to resign defenceman Kris Letang, it looks like Malkin will be hitting free agency even at his decline will still get some serious offers.
The Washington Capitals recently received the devastating news that Nicklas Backstrom had surgery which is a long recovery process, meaning the Capitals will have cap space because of Backstrom going on the long-term injury reserve. Plus the Capitals will need to fill that void Malkin would certainly do that.
According the Sportsnet's Eric Engels the the Washington Capitals appear to be very interested in Malkin the question is would Malkin want to go play the Pittsburgh Penguins biggest rival?
