Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin hasn't committed to this coming NHL season being the last of his career -- but Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas doesn't sound interested in playing another waiting game.
Dubas was asked during media availability Monday -- ahead of Pittsburgh's first regular-season game Wednesday -- where the team stood with Malkin potentially remaining a part of its future after the veteran inked a one-year contract extension in May to come back for a 21st year.
"I'm not doing this day-to-day, year-to-year thing with Geno," Dubas said curtly, stopping there without further elaboration on what exactly that could mean for the Penguins franchise legend moving forward.
Malkin himself doesn't seem to know either whether another year is in the cards. He spoke in September on the subject of impending retirement in terms of multiple variables tied to how the next several months pan out for him, on the ice and in terms of his personal health.
"We'll see what's going on during the season," Malkin said. "Right now, I want to say yes [to playing for longer]. But we'll see how my body feels. It's all about that. I still love the game. It's why I'm here [after] 21 years. I love the game. I'm excited every shift, practice, battle. Most important [is just] how your body feels."
It was Malkin's ability to turn back the clock that ultimately earned him another contract in Pittsburgh. After a pair of down seasons, Malkin rebounded in 2025-26 with 19 goals and 61 points in 56 games to help lift the Penguins to being the league's third-ranked offense. Pittsburgh subsequently lost its first-round playoff series to Philadelphia, and Malkin reflected afterward that he'd like to return for another year, with the Penguins or another club.
Malkin quickly got a deal done from there with the only NHL franchise he has suited up with to remain part of its admittedly aging core headlined with Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang that has helped deliver Stanley Cup championships to the organization in 2009, 2016 and 2017. Malkin has emerged over the last two decades as one of the NHL's premier centers and ranks third in career points for the Penguins with 1,407, behind only Mario Lemieux and Crosby.
Dubas' clipped answer about Malkin possibly staying on with Pittsburgh -- a team actively working to get younger -- adds more mystery as to whether this 2026-27 season will be the forward's swan song with the Penguins.