Mike Sullivan is thrilled the Penguins re-signed Evgeni Malkin to a new four-year, $24.4 million contract late Tuesday, keeping Malkin from hitting free agency at noon Wednesday. All along, Sullivan has pushed for the team to keep Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Malkin together. That is understandable. The three "generational players," as he has called them time and again, had put his name on the Stanley Cup not once but twice.
"What they've accomplished in Pittsburgh is remarkable," Sullivan said last week. "They're getting a little older, but they're not old. There's a big difference. There still is elite play in these guys. I believe they're hungry for more. I don't think they're finished."
Crosby and Letang are ecstatic about the Malkin deal, which also is understandable. They and Malkin spent the past 16 seasons together with the Penguins, an NHL record for three teammates. They led the franchise to the Cup in 2009, 2016 and 2017. "The memories we've built as a team," Letang said, "are just incredible."
Most of the Penguins fan base also love the re-signing of Malkin, if the explosion on social media is any indication. Just one example from Twitter from a man named Pete Zapris: "I was ready to cancel my season Tix. I have been. Season ticket holder for 15 years. Thank god Sid helped push this deal. Love Geno! Let's go Pens!"
Yes, that's also understandable.
The three Cups, remember?
So, why do I think the Malkin re-signing is going to turn out poorly for the Penguins?
I have my reasons.
Start with the fact the Penguins have lost five consecutive playoff series, the past four in the first round.
Ron Hextall already had brought back Bryan Rust, Letang and Rickard Rakell with new six-year deals. Now, he is bringing back Malkin and keeping intact a team that has failed the past four seasons with its stars all a year older?
It makes no sense to me if you eliminate the sentimentality.
Every team reaches a point when it needs to get younger. The Penguins are there now. With Malkin returning, the team's top three centers next season will be Crosby, 35 on Aug. 7; Malkin, 36 on July 31; and Jeff Carter, 37.
Re-signing Letang, who is 35, to a six-year, $36.6 million deal last week was one thing. Letang is a workout warrior. He has shown no signs of slowing down. He would have been difficult to replace because he plays almost half the game and is used in every situation. He still is among the top 10 players at his position.
But the same isn't true of Malkin. He wasn't the same player last season coming off major knee surgery. Yes, he averaged a point a game in 41 games because of his prowess on the power play. But his skating wasn't the same. His 5-on-5 play wasn't the same. His defense wasn't the same.
Two things seem most likely moving forward:
One, Malkin's game will continue to decline, perhaps quickly and steadily. That happens to every player — even the all-time greats — in time.
And two, Malkin's injuries will become more frequent. His body already has shown signs of breaking down.
Trust me, I know what Malkin has meant to the Penguins. He has won just about every major award in hockey — Calder, Smythe, Hart, Ross and Lindsay. He will step into the Hall of Fame the instant he is eligible. His 71 jersey should hang in the rafters of PPG Paints Arena — or will it be called Acrisure Ice Rink? — for eternity.
But business is business.
With the new deal, the Penguins are paying Malkin for what he has done, not for what he is going to do in the years ahead. That is a recipe for disaster in a sporting sense.
It was time for Malkin to move on.
It was time for the Penguins to hit the refresh button.
