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."
