Forward Valeri Nichushkin is staying put with the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, and Evgeni Malkin’s tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins may be over after 16 seasons.
Malkin has decided to go to free agency rather than re-sign with the Penguins before the start of free agency, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because neither Malkin nor the Penguins have disclosed this information publicly, which comes two days before the NHL’s free agency period opens.
Malkin’s decision potentially harkens the end of an era in Pittsburgh, where the soon-to-be 36-year-old teamed with Sidney Crosby to win the Stanley Cup three times. Malkin has topped 20 goals 13 times, and immediately becomes one of the more high-profile players set to hit the market on Wednesday.
Malkin’s decision comes with the Penguins attempting to balance their payroll and after re-signing defenseman Kris Letang to a six-year $36.6 million contract last week. Malkin had just completed an eight-year, $76 million contract.
Penguins GM Ron Hextall said last week he was not as close to a deal with Malkin as Letang.
Nichushkin, meantime, isn’t going anywhere after signing an eight-year, $49 million contract with Colorado. He spent the past three years with Colorado and is coming off a season in which he had a career-best 25 goals and 52 points in 62 games in the regular season before adding nine and six in the playoffs.
Nichushkin’s signing and Malkin’s pending departure overshadowed several other roster-related developments on Monday, with teams having until the afternoon to determine whether to issue qualifying offers and retain the rights to their restricted free agents.
One of those decisions involved the Avalanche, with forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel going from celebrating with the Stanley Cup on Saturday to not receiving a qualifying offer from Colorado.
Aube-Kubel, 26, has four seasons of NHL experience and was claimed by Colorado after being waived by the Philadelphia Flyers in November. He had 11 goals and 22 points in 67 regular-season games for the Avalanche, and had no points in 14 playoff games.
CAPITALS: The Washington Capitals’ bid to restock their goaltending ranks resumed with Ilya Samsonov set to become a free agent after not being tendered a qualifying offer days after trading Vitek Vanecek to New Jersey.
General Manager Brian MacLellan said the team went into the offseason determined to remake its goaltending and also fielded offers on Samsonov.
Payroll played a role in the decision with Samsonov eligible for arbitration. In projecting Samsonov to play a backup role, the Capitals were concerned he would be awarded a contract more suitable for a starter.
Washington was already in the market for a veteran goaltender and may now need two.
“We’re open to all avenues,” MacLellan said Friday at the draft. “The goaltending market’s changing as we go here day by day. You try and stay in things you feel you’re attracted to and might be a good fit. We’ve got free agency coming up on Wednesday, so we’ll be involved in all of the discussions about goalies.”
OILERS: The Edmonton Oilers granted Evander Kane permission to speak with other teams before he’s eligible to become a free agent. In a text to The Associated Press, Kane’s agent, Daniel Milstein, wrote he’s opening talks with other teams while also continuing discussions with the Oilers.
Kane signed with Edmonton in January after the San Jose Sharks terminated the remainder of his seven-year, $49 million contract for violating COVID-19 protocols while in the American Hockey League. Kane has challenged the Sharks’ decision by filing a grievance through the NHL Players’ Association.
BLACKHAWKS: The purge in Chicago continued with the Blackhawks placing veteran forward Brett Connolly and center Henrik Borgstrom on waivers with the intention to buy out the remainder of their contracts. Both had one year remaining on their respective deals. The moves follow Chicago trading forward Alex DeBrincat to Ottawa and center Kirby Dach to Montreal last week.
• Derek King is staying with the Blackhawks as an assistant coach on Luke Richardson’s staff.
King finished last season as Chicago’s interim coach after Jeremy Colliton was fired on Nov. 6. He was in the mix for the full-time job, but Richardson was hired last month.
King, 55, went 27-33-10 with the Blackhawks, drawing praise from GM Kyle Davidson for his work during a challenging period for the rebuilding franchise. The former NHL forward coached the team’s AHL affiliate in Rockford before taking on the interim role.
Kevin Dean also was hired as an assistant. Dean, 53, was an assistant with the Boston Bruins for the previous five seasons. Dean was an NHL defenseman for seven seasons, finishing his playing career with 96 games with the Blackhawks.
Goaltending coach Jimmy Waite and video coach Matt Meacham also are returning to Chicago’s staff.
BLUE JACKETS: The Columbus Blue Jackets declined to make offers to defenseman Gabriel Carlsson and center Kevin Stenlund. Carlsson has just two goals and 16 points in 75 career games over six seasons. Stenlund has 11 goals and 20 points in 71 games over four seasons. The Blue Jackets did extend qualifying offers to four players, including star forward Patrik Laine (26 goals, 36 assists last season).
AVALANCHE: The Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche promoted Joe Sakic to president of hockey operations.
Sakic was the architect behind a team that captured its first title since 2001. The Hall of Fame forward-turned-front office executive was recently honored as the general manager of the year.
The team also announced that assistant GM Chris MacFarland will now serve as the GM.
COYOTES: The Arizona Coyotes signed forward Christian Fischer to a one-year contract.
The 25-year-old Fischer has developed into a team leader in five seasons with the Coyotes with his work ethic and physical presence.
KINGS: Forwards Carl Grundstrom and Lias Andersson agreed to contract extensions with the Los Angeles Kings.
Grundstrom got a two-year deal worth $2.6 million through the 2023-24 season, and Andersson got a one-year deal for $750,000.
Grundstrom scored a career-high 15 points in 54 games last season with the Kings. The 24-year-old Swede also scored three goals in Los Angeles’ first-round playoff loss to Edmonton.
Grundstrom is a former second-round pick by Toronto. He was traded to the Kings in January 2019 in a package for defenseman Jake Muzzin.
Andersson scored two points in 20 games for Los Angeles last season. He was the seventh overall selection in the 2017 draft by the New York Rangers, who traded him to the Kings in October 2020 for a second-round draft pick.
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