Evgeni Malkin states again that he wants to be back with the Pittsburgh Penguins next year
Tom Gulitti: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin is hopeful Saturday isn’t his last game of the season. The pending UFA said again that he hopes to re-sign with the Penguins and be back next season. Penguins GM Kyle Dubas and agent J.P. Barry agreed to put off contract talks until after the season.
“I hope it’s not over,” Malkin said. “I hope we’re still fighting. And my future, like again, I say the same thing: I want to be here, I want to be part of the team next year, too, and I want to be retired in Pittsburgh.
“But it’s not my choice. You know, it’s Kyle’s decision and it’s the new owners probably, too.”
Malkin will turn 40 on July 31st. He put 19 goals and 42 assists for 61 points in 56 regular season games.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs are asking a lot of questions about process, sports science, analytics, and interviewees are wondering about Auston Matthews
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – Diving Into the Latest Playoff Action episode, on the Toronto Maple Leafs are asking interviewees for the head of hockey operations position about process, sports science, analytics, who are wondering about Auston Matthews future.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“I’ll say this, the thing, a couple things are very interesting. I’ve heard about some of the interviews. They definitely ask a lot of questions about process, sports science, analytics and not just use of analytics, but building analytics. Those are definitely things that they are asking about.
And I will say this to you too, Kyle, there is no question that (Auston) Matthew’s future, which is in Matthew’s hands more than it is in the Maple Leafs hands, is very large over these conversations. Both in terms of, I think the Maple Leafs understanding at this point in time, they don’t know how Matthews feels, and how which way he eventually moves, could change the direction of the franchise.
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And I think some of these candidates, and it was funny, somebody said to me, they’re not sure if the candidates are asking because they want to know in case they get the job, or they want to know in case they don’t get the job, and their current team might want to get a jump on, ‘Hey, Austin Matthews might be available.’ But I think the Maple Leafs are saying they just don’t know when they have to be prepared for anything.”
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