Malkin Open to Leaving Pittsburgh: What a Penguins Rebuild Means for Goals, Shots, and Team Totals

Evgeni Malkin told Pittsburgh Hockey Now he would play for another NHL team next season if the Penguins decline to bring him back — a quiet but seismic admission from a player who has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh. The 39-year-old center-turned-winger met with GM Kyle Dubas on Friday, with further talks expected between Dubas and agent JP Barry. The door is open. It may not stay that way long.

The context matters here. Malkin was not a passenger this season. He posted 19 goals and 61 points in 59 games, producing at roughly a point-per-game clip well into his late 30s — numbers that would make him a legitimate depth piece on a contender or a top-six driver on a rebuilding club. Dubas faces a genuine fork: re-sign a proven producer on what would likely be a one-year deal, or accelerate a youth movement and absorb the offensive regression that comes with it. Malkin's own words — "maybe he wants new blood here" — suggest he reads the room clearly.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Kings are formally opening a head coaching search, with GM Ken Holland confirming he'll interview candidates this week. Interim coach D.J. Smith is in the mix but not a lock. Coaching transitions create real line-matching volatility, especially in the first two to three weeks of a new regime — something to monitor as rosters firm up this summer. Separately, the Utah Mammoth enter the offseason with $14.3 million in projected cap space and a draft haul that includes first- and multiple third-round picks. They carry six pending UFAs, including goaltender Vitek Vanecek, which leaves the crease situation fluid heading into July 1.

For prop bettors, the Malkin situation is the most actionable thread. If Pittsburgh moves on, the Penguins lose their most efficient offensive creator — a player averaging just over a point per game this season. Without Malkin, Pittsburgh's team total and puck-line props become significantly less attractive on the over side. More specifically, whoever inherits his power-play role will carry far less upside; Pittsburgh's PP conversion rate leans heavily on his playmaking. Any early 2026-27 lines that open with Pittsburgh team totals near league-average should be treated skeptically until a replacement is identified. On the flip side, whichever team lands Malkin — particularly a cap-flexible club like Utah, who has the space and the draft capital to absorb a one-year prove-it deal — immediately gets a boost to their points and assists props in top-six and power-play contexts. Iginla and Desnoyers are intriguing long-term assets, but a Malkin addition would give Utah a legitimate offensive anchor to surround them.