Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins face Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Sunday afternoon. With retirement rumors swirling, this could be Ovechkin's last home game in Washington. However, does Malkin believe the Washington forward will retire from the NHL after the season ends?
The Penguins forward believes Ovechkin will return for the 2026-27 NHL season, the player told reporters. Malkin said Ovechkin will "definitely be back next year" because he is "still hungry." As of now, the 40-year-old Washington forward plans to make a decision to retire after the season, but his close friend believes he won't do that just yet.
Ovechkin is the best goal scorer in NHL history, and he is still performing at a high level. The Capitals star has 32 goals, 31 assists and 63 points in his 21st NHL season. While Ovechkin isn't performing at a 50-goals-per-season level, he still provides much-needed offensive production for Washington.
Since Ovechkin's contract expires at the conclusion of the 2025–26 NHL season, he will need to sign a new contract with the Capitals if he is to continue playing in the NHL. The end of this season has long been viewed as a potential retirement point for Ovechkin, as his contract expires.
The 40-year-old forward has previously expressed his desire to retire in Russia and potentially play a final season with Dynamo Moscow. If Ovechkin does retire from the NHL, it wouldn't be shocking to see him play in Russia this year. However, the Capitals would love to have him back in the organization for another campaign.
After all, Ovechkin's offensive production is hard to replace. Malkin believes Washington won't have to worry and that Ovechkin will be back for at least one more season.
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