Insider reports that 2025-26 will probably be Evgeni Malkin's last NHL campaign

Now, the The Athletic's Josh Yohe has reported as much on a recent social media post.

Malkin will be entering his 20th NHL season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, an accomplishment about which only few players can boast. That he is unlikely to sign with another team, only adds fuel to the retirement-rumor.

The Penguins have not qualified for the post-season in three seasons, and have not won a playoff series since 2018. It is a certainty that GM Kyle Dubas will continue the process of rebuilding the oldest team (average age 30.9) in the NHL, and therefore not extend an offer to the ageing Stanley Cup Champion.

If he does retire, Evgeni's career will be remembered with distinction, his accomplishments making him a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer, the final honor to close-out a career that began in 2006-07, when he won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year.

Malkin continued to add hardware to his trophy case throughout his memorable career: 3 Stanley Cups, 2 Art Ross Trophies, a Conn Smythe, Ted Lindsey, and a Hart Trophy as the league's MVP in 2012. He is 3rd in franchise history in career points (1346), and 2nd in games played (1213), behind only Sidney Crosby.

That he's even a superstar, and has accomplished what he has, playing alongside the likes of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, and of course, Sidney Crosby, says everything you need to know about a talent who distinguishes himself from other talents.

If 2025-26 is in fact Malkin's final season, we may actually see two farewell tours happening concurrently, as Alex Ovechkin is also reported to be retiring at the end of 2025-26. It will be a year to remember, as much for the upcoming season's accomplishments, as for two Russian hockey players that have made their mark on the North American game, changing the record books and setting a high bar for future NHLers to reach.