Evgeni Malkin has made it clear that he wants to return to the despite his contract being up and sending him to free agency. On Tuesday, the Penguins added their own thoughts to the situation. had this to say about Malkin, via the team: "We had a great exit interview with Evgeni directly, and great conversations with him and his agent J.P. Barry... So we would love to have him back, and we continue to work with J.P. on it." The Penguins, up to this point, had yet to say so explicitly that they do indeed want Malkin back for the 2026-27 season. Malkin turns 40 at the end Zach Collins Jersey of July, but the Penguins are the only NHL team he's ever known. He's coming off a season in which he had 61 points in 56 games -- 19 goals and 42 a sists. MORE: He's also one of the best players of his generation, a three-time Stanley Cup winner with 533 goals and 874 a sists (1,407 points). Sidney Crosby has a year left on his contract, and it'd be odd to watch Malkin don another uniform instead of one in Pittsburgh. Malkin has said publicly that if the Penguins don't bring him back, he does want to keep playing and would sign elsewhere in the NHL. It's also clear that his heart is in Pittsburgh, though, and after Dubas' public comments on Tuesday, it sure seems they're a lot closer to staying together. More NHL news: Keljin Blevins Jersey