The end of an era: it may soon be over in Pittsburgh
For over 10 years, soon to be 20, the duo of Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby has been one of the NHL's most formidable attacking pairs, especially on the power play.
This duo could be split up in a year, as Crosby's contract will expire. In my opinion, there's no need to worry too much about that, as Sidney Crosby will likely want to finish his career in Pittsburgh.
The real concern is with Malkin. He has two seasons remaining on his current contract, after which he intends to finish his career with the Magnitogorsk Metallurg in his hometown.
According to Mark Madden, a journalist who covers the Penguins daily, Malkin might decide to leave a year early to return home.
He would follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Evgeny Kuznetsov and leave the NHL by ending his contract. After 19 seasons in Pittsburgh and three Stanley Cups, it would be hard to believe.
However, this would free up $6.1 million in cap space for the Penguins, which they will greatly need as they inevitably face a major rebuild.
The next question is whether Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby will also want to remain in Pittsburgh through these difficult years. Rebuilding with the large contracts of Letang, Karlsson, and Crosby will be challenging.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Sidney Crosby will finish his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins? | ||
| Yes | 214 | 80.1 % |
| No | 53 | 19.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
