The Pittsburgh Penguins' Big Three—Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang—face uncertainty after their first-round playoff loss. Malkin's contract expires soon, raising questions about the future of this iconic trio.
Key points
Pittsburgh Penguins' Big Three includes Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.
The trio has played nearly 4,000 games together.
Malkin's contract expires soon, making him a potential unrestricted free agent.
The Penguins lost in the first round of the playoffs.
But Malkin's contract is up and he can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Could this be the end of the Big Three?
Malkin has indicated a desire to return and general manager Kyle Dubas put off the decision until the offseason, which has arrived for the Penguins after their 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6.
He certainly can still play. He had 61 points in 56 games during the regular season, but he did miss 26 games with injury and a five-game suspension. A one-year deal would be a good compromise for the soon-to-be 40-year-old.
Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.
Q&A
What is the status of Evgeni Malkin's contract with the Penguins?
Evgeni Malkin's contract is set to expire, making him an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
How many Stanley Cup championships have the Penguins' Big Three won?
The Penguins' Big Three have won three Stanley Cup championships together.
What impact does the first-round playoff loss have on the Penguins' roster?
The first-round playoff loss raises questions about potential changes to the roster, particularly concerning the future of Malkin and the Big Three.
Could this playoff loss signal the end of the Penguins' Big Three era?
Yes, the playoff loss and Malkin's impending free agency could indicate the end of the Penguins' Big Three era.
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Feb. 28: The Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) battles along the boards with the Toronto Maple Leafs' Brandon Carlo in the second period at Scotiabank Arena.
Feb. 28: The Nashville Predators' Filip Forsberg hits the boards alongside the Dallas Stars' Nils Lundkvist during the third period at the American Airlines Center.
Feb. 5: The Florida Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk (left) and Tampa Bay Lightning's Victor Hedman fight during the second period at Benchmark International Arena.
Feb. 4: The St. Louis Blues' Brayden Schenn fights with the Dallas Stars' Justin Hryckowian during the second period at the American Airlines Center.
Feb. 1: Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman fight during the second period of the 2026 Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium.
Jan. 29: St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (left) fights Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer during the second period at Enterprise Center.
Jan. 27: Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane (91) fights with San Jose Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren during the second period at Rogers Arena.
Jan. 19: San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (left) fights Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena.
Jan. 15: Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (5) fights with Calgary Flames left wing Joel Farabee (86) during the second period at United Center.
Jan. 15: Boston Bruins center Alex Steeves (21) and Seattle Kraken center Ryan Winterton (26) fight during the third period at TD Garden.
Jan 10: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) checks Seattle Kraken right wing Kaapo Kakko (84) during the first period at Lenovo Center.
Dec. 30: Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) fights with New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
Dec. 20: Philadelphia Flyers left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) and New York Rangers left wing Brennan Othmann (78) are separated by officials and teammates after a fight during the second period at Madison Square Garden.
Dec 8: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua (81) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Maxwell Crozier (24) fight during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
Dec. 4: Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Bokondji Imama (14) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) fight in the first period at Benchmark International Arena.
Dec. 1: New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (71) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) fight during the second period at Prudential Center.
Nov. 28: New Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen (11) and Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
Nov. 28: Philadelphia Flyers right wing Garnet Hathaway (19) checks New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas (53) during the second period at UBS Arena.
Nov. 28: Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews (19) checks Carolina Hurricanes center Justin Robidas (46) during the first period at Lenovo Center.
Nov 24: Members of the New Jersey Devils and the Detroit Red Wings fight at the end of the third period at Prudential Center.
Nov. 22: Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) and Edmonton Oilers center Trent Frederic (10) fight during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena.
Utah Mammoth center Jack McBain (22) and Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) fight during the third period at Delta Center.
Nov. 16: The New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings engage in a major scrum after their game at Madison Square Garden.
Nov. 6: Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) fights Minnesota Wild center Tyler Pitlick (19) after his hit injured Carolina's Jalen Chatfield.
Nov. 6: Los Angeles Kings right wing Corey Perry (10) and Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) fight during the third period at Crypto.com Arena.
Nov. 6: Buffalo Sabres center Josh Dunne (44) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
Nov 4: New York Islanders and Boston Bruins players get in a scrum after Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) was roughed by Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) during the second period.
Nov. 1: Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Mathieu Olivier (24) fights St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) in the first period at Nationwide Arena.
Nov 1: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov (9) hits St. Louis Blues right wing Jordan Kyrou (25) along the boards in the third period at Nationwide Arena.
Nov. 1: Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) and Buffalo Sabres left wing Jordan Greenway (12) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
Oct. 24: Calgary Flames right wing Adam Klapka (43) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley (64) fight in the first period at Canada Life Centre.
Oct. 23: Boston Bruins left wing Tanner Jeannot (84) fights with Anaheim Ducks left wing Ross Johnston (44) during the second period at TD Garden.
Oct. 21: Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano (77) and Nashville Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby (83) fight during the third period at Bridgestone Arena.
Oct. 18: Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) is held back by a linesman after scuffling with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Marchand is holding Dahlin's helmet and later pulled off the straps in the penalty box.
Oct. 18: Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Mathieu Olivier (24) fight during the first period at Nationwide Arena.
Oct. 16: Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6) checks Boston Bruins center Michael Eyssimont (81) during the first period at T-Mobile Arena.
Oct 14: Dallas Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel (6) checks Minnesota Wild center Yakov Trenin (13) during the first period at the American Airlines Center.
Oct. 11: Calgary Flames left wing Ryan Lomberg (70) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) fight during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Oct. 11: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) checks New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena.
Oct. 11: Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Luke Schenn (5) fight during the first period at Canada Life Centre.
Oct. 9: Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) checks San Jose Sharks center Philipp Kurashev (96) at center ice during the third period at SAP Center.
Oct. 9: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh (43) and Ottawa Senators left wing Kurtis MacDermid (23) fight during the first period at Benchmark International Arena.
Oct. 9: Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) checks New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) during the third period at Lenovo Center.
Oct. 9: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) checks New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) as he goes after a loose puck during the second period at KeyBank Center.
Oct 7: Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) points to Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) after he finished fighting Josh Manson during the first period at Crypto.com Arena.
Oct. 7: Chicago's Nick Foligno fights with Florida's A.J. Greer during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.
1 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: The Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) battles along the boards with the Toronto Maple Leafs' Brandon Carlo in the second period at Scotiabank Arena.
3 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: The Nashville Predators' Filip Forsberg hits the boards alongside the Dallas Stars' Nils Lundkvist during the third period at the American Airlines Center.
4 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 5: The Florida Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk (left) and Tampa Bay Lightning's Victor Hedman fight during the second period at Benchmark International Arena.
5 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 4: The St. Louis Blues' Brayden Schenn fights with the Dallas Stars' Justin Hryckowian during the second period at the American Airlines Center.
6 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 1: Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman fight during the second period of the 2026 Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium.
7 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 29: St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (left) fights Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer during the second period at Enterprise Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 27: Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane (91) fights with San Jose Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren during the second period at Rogers Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 19: San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (left) fights Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena.
10 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 15: Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (5) fights with Calgary Flames left wing Joel Farabee (86) during the second period at United Center.
11 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 15: Boston Bruins center Alex Steeves (21) and Seattle Kraken center Ryan Winterton (26) fight during the third period at TD Garden.
12 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan 10: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) checks Seattle Kraken right wing Kaapo Kakko (84) during the first period at Lenovo Center.
13 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 30: Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) fights with New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 20: Philadelphia Flyers left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) and New York Rangers left wing Brennan Othmann (78) are separated by officials and teammates after a fight during the second period at Madison Square Garden.
15 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec 8: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua (81) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Maxwell Crozier (24) fight during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
16 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 4: Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Bokondji Imama (14) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) fight in the first period at Benchmark International Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 1: New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (71) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) fight during the second period at Prudential Center.
18 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 28: New Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen (11) and Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
19 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 28: Philadelphia Flyers right wing Garnet Hathaway (19) checks New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas (53) during the second period at UBS Arena.
20 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 28: Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews (19) checks Carolina Hurricanes center Justin Robidas (46) during the first period at Lenovo Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov 24: Members of the New Jersey Devils and the Detroit Red Wings fight at the end of the third period at Prudential Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 22: Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) and Edmonton Oilers center Trent Frederic (10) fight during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Utah Mammoth center Jack McBain (22) and Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) fight during the third period at Delta Center.
24 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 16: The New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings engage in a major scrum after their game at Madison Square Garden.
25 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 6: Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) fights Minnesota Wild center Tyler Pitlick (19) after his hit injured Carolina's Jalen Chatfield.
26 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 6: Los Angeles Kings right wing Corey Perry (10) and Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) fight during the third period at Crypto.com Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 6: Buffalo Sabres center Josh Dunne (44) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov 4: New York Islanders and Boston Bruins players get in a scrum after Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) was roughed by Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) during the second period.
29 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 1: Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Mathieu Olivier (24) fights St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) in the first period at Nationwide Arena.
30 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov 1: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov (9) hits St. Louis Blues right wing Jordan Kyrou (25) along the boards in the third period at Nationwide Arena.
31 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 1: Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) and Buffalo Sabres left wing Jordan Greenway (12) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 24: Calgary Flames right wing Adam Klapka (43) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley (64) fight in the first period at Canada Life Centre.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 23: Boston Bruins left wing Tanner Jeannot (84) fights with Anaheim Ducks left wing Ross Johnston (44) during the second period at TD Garden.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 21: Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano (77) and Nashville Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby (83) fight during the third period at Bridgestone Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 18: Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) is held back by a linesman after scuffling with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Marchand is holding Dahlin's helmet and later pulled off the straps in the penalty box.
36 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 18: Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Mathieu Olivier (24) fight during the first period at Nationwide Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 16: Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6) checks Boston Bruins center Michael Eyssimont (81) during the first period at T-Mobile Arena.
38 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct 14: Dallas Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel (6) checks Minnesota Wild center Yakov Trenin (13) during the first period at the American Airlines Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 11: Calgary Flames left wing Ryan Lomberg (70) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) fight during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 11: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) checks New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 11: Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Luke Schenn (5) fight during the first period at Canada Life Centre.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) checks San Jose Sharks center Philipp Kurashev (96) at center ice during the third period at SAP Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh (43) and Ottawa Senators left wing Kurtis MacDermid (23) fight during the first period at Benchmark International Arena.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) checks New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) during the third period at Lenovo Center.
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NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) checks New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) as he goes after a loose puck during the second period at KeyBank Center.
46 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct 7: Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) points to Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) after he finished fighting Josh Manson during the first period at Crypto.com Arena.
47 / 47
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 7: Chicago's Nick Foligno fights with Florida's A.J. Greer during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena.
Crosby has one year left on his contract at $8.7 million, meaning he can sign an extension as early as July 1. Letang has two more years at $6.1 million. Though Letang's play appears to have slipped a bit, he did score the winning goals in Games 4 and 5.
The Penguins have more decisions to make than just on Malkin.
Anthony Mantha is also an unrestricted free agent. He scored 33 goals in the regular season on a one-year, $2.5 million contract but had only one point in six games in the playoffs.
So is goalie Stuart Skinner, who arrived this season in a trade. But the Penguins have to re-sign Arturs Silovs, who replaced Skinner (three losses) and won two playoff games and pushed Game 6 to overtime.
The Penguins also have goalie prospect Sergei Murashov, 22, in the American Hockey League. Could they let Skinner walk to give Murashov a chance for promotion?
