Malkin's Extension to be Announced this Week

As posted earlier, the Pens and Evgeni Malkin have [verbally] agreed to an extension deal.

Rob Rossi has posted an article confirming "Pens to announce Malkin extension" Here are some of the key parts of the article:

• Neither the Penguins nor Malkin's agent, JP Barry, confirmed a deal was in place, but an announcement is expected this week.
• Malkin's extension will pay him $8.7 million annually over five years starting with the 2009-10 season. The deal is a near-carbon copy of the extension signed last summer by teammate Sidney Crosby.
• The significance of Malkin's extension is paramount to the Penguins' hope for keeping together a young core that consists of him, Crosby, center Jordan Staal, defenseman Ryan Whitney and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

To read the entire article, click HERE.