Evgeni Malkin's text message to his teammates was leaked
There seems to be some tension between forward Evgeni Malkin and Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall.
"Do they want me?" wrote Malkin in a text message sent to reporter Rob Rossi.
Recently, DeSmith, Rust and Letang resigned with the Pens, but Malkin remains without a contract.
Malkin wrote to all three players to congratulate them and all three asked him if his new contract was the Penguins' next.
"They don't think I'm any good anymore," Malkin replied, according to Rossi.
Negotiations stumbled primarily over the length of the deal, not the annual value. The Penguins' last offer was a three-year, $18 million contract, sources told Rossi. Malkin is reportedly interested in a deal lasting at least four seasons.
The Penguins still have $15.3 million in payroll space, but Rickard Rakell and Evan Rodrigues are still unrestricted free agents, while Kasperi Kapanen and Danton Heinen are restricted.
| POLL | ||
Will Malkin resign with the Penguins? | ||
| Yes | 260 | 41 % |
| No | 374 | 59 % |
| List of polls | ||
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