Penguins: Sidney Crosby made emergency visit to console emotional Evgeni Malkin

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby made an emergency visit to Florida to check on his good friend Evgeni Malkin amid contract talks.

Crosby believes it’s in his best interest to keep the likes of Malkin and Kris Letang in Pittsburgh. The Pens have already signed Letang to a six-year deal, saving a bunch of money in the short-term in the process.

Letang is only one-third of the equation, however. Malkin is a tougher decision, and for good reason. He’s set to be 36 years old next season, and he wants a four-year deal. To be frank, there’s very little chance he plays well until he’s 40. Letang, meanwhile, has one of the best training regimens on the team.

Per The Athletic, Crosby made a visit down to Florida lately to check on Malkin. The visit was more about Malkin’s well-being than to convince him to sign in Pittsburgh.

“Sid didn’t go to convince Malkin to sign,” a source told Rob Rossi. “He wanted to check on his friend. He was worried about how hard this is on Geno with Geno not feeling wanted anymore.”

Should Penguins re-sign Evgeni Malkin?

Sure! But only at the right price point and years.

A three-year deal for Malkin makes a lot of sense at the $6 million AAV mark. It might seem like Pittsburgh is pinching pennies rather than rewarding an all-time great, but really think this through.

The Penguins know they only have a select number of years left with Crosby at his peak. Saving money — even a few million here or there — could be enough to surround Crosby with talent and make another run at the Cup.

If they overpay Malkin, some of that ‘extra’ money goes by the wayside. By no means does Pittsburgh’s free agent interests end with Malkin. No, there are trade targets and free agents beyond just the second-line center they’d like to meet with.

So, when Malkin texts teammates “do they even want me (reportedly),” it can only raise so many alarms in the front office. If a deal isn’t reached by Wednesday, then Malkin is officially a free agent and can meet with other teams.