PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins and reigning NHL MVP Evgeni Malkin have agreed to an eight-year contract extension.
The $76-million deal begins with the 2014-15 season and will carry an average salary cap hit of $9.5 million. The agreement comes one day after the Penguins signed coach Dan Bylsma to a two-year extension through 2016.
The 26-year-old Russian won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP a year ago after leading the league with 109 points. He struggled with a concussion and a shoulder injury during the lockout-shortened 2013 season, finishing with 31 points in 33 games.
The extension means Malkin and Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby will remain together through their primes and beyond. Crosby signed a 12-year extension last summer.
