Brothers and Penguins Forever

After Kris Letang signed his
six-year contract extension
last week, he exchanged texts with Evgeni Malkin, who was also in the midst of negotiations with the Penguins.
"I kind of just said, 'I hope you get this done soon so we keep it all together,'" Letang said.
A few days later, the superstar center also put pen to paper on a deal to remain in Pittsburgh, where he belongs. Malkin signed a
four-year contract extension
with an average annual value of $6.1 million, a considerable discount from his previous salary of $9.5 million.

"To get Geno under contract, we couldn't be happier," Penguins general manager Ron Hextall said. "He helped us out in terms of the cap number, which we needed to keep low. We talked about that right from the start. We stretched out (on term) to help him out. It was one of those deals that worked both ways. We couldn't be more thrilled to have him finish his career as a Penguin."

Despite reports coming out on Monday that Malkin had decided to test free agency for the first time in his career, Hextall said that never affected the negotiations from his perspective, as they remained amicable the entire time.
They agreed to that middle ground on Tuesday night before free agency opened at noon on Wednesday, with Malkin taking the same cap hit as Letang - who had been making $7.25 million on his previous deal - so that they could stay together.
"Our No. 1 objective was to keep our cap numbers down on those guys so we can surround them with other pieces, instead of having to get rid of other pieces to be below the cap," Hextall said. "So we sacrifice a little bit, they sacrifice a little bit, and we came to an agreement. They both, in the end, wanted to be Pittsburgh Penguins. And we couldn't be more thrilled."
It's safe to assume that Sidney Crosby feels the same way. He's expressed his desire to continue to play with Malkin and Letang, as the three of them understand how unique their situation is.
"We've been fortunate enough to play together for a long time, we've been through a lot," the captain said during locker cleanout day. "I think when you look at all those experiences, there's a lot of belief, a lot of trust in one another - and with that, we've had success too. That's very rare, and I think we all appreciate that."
Since being drafted by the Penguins, they've each built remarkable legacies that have become intertwined - and in the process, even more special. For as gratifying as it is to each make such an incredible individual mark on this sport at its highest level, to simultaneously accomplish such remarkable team success for a world-class organization like this one is truly something exceptional.
"Having three guys of that magnitude play together for so long - it's pretty special," Hextall said. "So I mean, quite honestly, I feel fortunate to just catch the tail end of their careers and see how great they all are as players and teammates and I think, as Geno said, brothers. It's pretty cool."

But it's not just all about sentimentality. Head coach Mike Sullivan always talks about how they try to put the best lineup on the ice that gives them the best chance to win, and that is what this trio does. Even though Sid isn't a Kid anymore, and neither are Malkin and Letang, they've still got a lot of good hockey left.
Crosby, who turns 35 on Aug. 7, was an unstoppable, dominant force in the playoffs before going down; Malkin, who turns 36 on July 31, scored 20 goals in 41 games coming off major knee surgery; and Letang, who turned 35 on April 24, had arguably the best season of his career.
"These guys are special players," Hextall said. "These aren't really good hockey players; these are generational players. They make people better. So we still feel like we're in the mix of the top teams in the league."
That was evidenced by how the last couple of years have gone. The Penguins fell short, there's no question about that - but they deserved better against the Islanders last year and the Rangers this year, dealing with especially extenuating circumstances against the Blueshirts by losing several key players.
"The team that we had last year and the bad luck that we faced just right before the playoffs, sometimes it kind of crushes your hopes. But at the end of the day, that season we had with all the injuries, that proves that we have something solid - from the coaching staff to the players," Letang said. "I think we have what it takes."
So with approval from the Fenway Sports Group, the plan has been to continue on trying to win the Stanley Cup. In the couple of months that have passed between the end of the season and the start of free agency, Hextall has repeatedly referred to Pittsburgh's situation as a puzzle.
The priority was the two biggest pieces, with re-signing Malkin and Letang always the main goal. The rest would fall into place from there. And the picture that's emerged is that the players the Penguins have wanted bring back understand they have a chance to do something special, and are willing to compromise accordingly.
For example, not only did Malkin and Letang take less - Bryan Rust, another core player, also signed an incredibly team-friendly deal instead of likely getting a lot more on the open market. Rickard Rakell also
agreed to a solid contract
because of how strongly he felt about this group's potential.
"They understand the situation," Hextall said. "Everybody knows the cap situation now, and the players probably know as well as anybody. So they have worked with us. They want to stay with the Penguins and keep this group together."
However, moving forward, the Penguins will certainly have to move a defenseman or two, as they currently have nine under contract with the addition of Jan Rutta. The two-time Stanley Cup champion with Tampa Bay in 2020 and '21 brings some heaviness to the back end, particularly in front of the net and on the PK.
They'll look to get a forward and/or futures in return, but Hextall isn't adhering to any strict timeline. The hard work is done; it's now about filling out the puzzle's edges.
"Once you get through free agency, the dust kind of settles and then everybody knows exactly what they have, so sometimes it's easier to make moves," Hextall said. "So we'll see what comes along in the next month or so, and we'll make moves when we see the time is appropriate."