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Evgeni Malkin is one of the great players of this era of the NHL, and in turn, one of the best to ever put on skates for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He also entered this season as a potential trade candidate, but that has changed with the Penguins' fortunes.
With Pittsburgh playing as well as it has, Malkin may not make sense to trade anymore.
Maybe, instead, he deserves a re-up on his contract to keep him around for next year.
That's what Pro Hockey Rumors' Josh Cybulski wrote on Sunday.
"It feels like it’s time to sign him to an extension," Cybulski writes. "Pittsburgh has the cap space, Malkin isn’t going to ask for the moon, and there really isn’t a Malkin replacement available in free agency. He also doesn’t need to be a center at this stage of his career and is quite competent on the wing, as he showed last season playing alongside Crosby on the top line."
MORE: Elias Pettersson takes a bold trade stance
Cybulski goes on to suggest a contract with double the guarantees of what Jonathan Toews got over the summer from the Winnipeg Jets. That would then work out to a $4 million base salary for Malkin.
"Pittsburgh gets a top-six forward, Malkin adds to his legacy, and Pittsburgh avoids painting itself into a long-term predicament, remaining fluid for future moves," Cybulski writes. "Everybody wins, especially the fans in Pittsburgh and, most importantly, Malkin’s teammates, including Crosby."
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