Capitals' Alex Ovechkin doesn't appear to have Evgeni Malkin's problem
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin doesn't appear to have Evgeni Malkin's problem originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Two of the greatest Russian hockey players ever are both free agents this offseason.
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Alex Ovechkin's contract expired with the Washington Capitals, and Evgeni Malkin's deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins is up.
Beyond that, though, there aren't a ton of similarities.
Ovi appears to have things much more comfortable at the moment. Malkin is in a bit of a trickier spot.
There's been no suggestion whatsoever that Ovechkin might leave the Caps. He could always choose to retire, but it doesn't seem like any other teams are sniffing around in case Ovechkin actually reaches unrestricted free agency.
It makes sense, of course, that the Capitals would want to keep the NHL's all-time goal scorer on their team.
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The Penguins have a player nearly as special in Malkin, but they seem to be taking the opposite approach. Malkin has made clear he wants to stay in Pittsburgh. It's been a lot tougher to get an equivalent commitment from the Penguins' front office, though.
That doesn't mean both won't stay put. It's just a fascinating dichotomy.
Every sport operates a bit differently on this kind of thing. Hockey is one of the ones that generally sides with keeping one legend on one team his whole career, much like occasionally happens in baseball.
Ovechkin and Malkin are all-time greats for their franchises. Yet heading into the offseason, Ovi feels a lot more secure in his place than Geno does.
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