The latest edition of "the Battle of Pennsylvania" provided the Philadelphia Flyers with a recent, favorable playoff memory. Not only that, but it seemed as though it would be the final run of Pittsburgh's core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. The most likely to go was Malkin, who was set to hit free agency this summer, and he sounded open to exploring his options elsewhere.
But that all changed on Tuesday, as the Penguins announced they re-signed Malkin to a one-year contract. The deal, according to multiple reports, is worth $5.5 million guaranteed, with up to $3.5 million in incentives.
With Malkin back in Pittsburgh for another year, it provides Philadelphia another chance to show they still have the brighter future.
Flyers watch Penguins stick with core by re-signing Evgeni Malkin
Retaining Malkin always made sense for the Penguins, considering how well he played for them this season. In 56 games, Malkin put up 19 goals and 42 assists, with a plus/minus rating of +13. It's obvious the Penguins are going to try and run it back while bringing in some additions across the roster to try and bolster their odds of contending this year. But, given the playoff format, they will likely have to go through Philadelphia again.
For the Flyers, they took a huge step out of their rebuild to show they could be consistent contenders in the Metropolitan Division. The likes of Porter Martone, Alex Bump, and Matvei Michkov all showed promise throughout the season, and are expected to take another step forward in their development.
Not to mention, the Flyers' offseason additions of forward Trevor Zegras and goalie Dan Vladar all paid off. Zegras recorded 67 points in 81 regular season games and six points in 10 playoff games. Zegras is a restricted free agent, and both he and the Flyers expressed interest in a long-term contract. As for Vladar, he showed he is the starting goalie they've been searching for for years, as evidenced by his 2.42 goals allowed average, .906 save percentage, and 29 wins in 51 starts. In the playoffs, Vladar put up a 2.18 goals allowed average and a .922 save percentage in 10 playoff games. Vladar is eligible to receive a contract extension this offseason.
The Penguins seem as though they are going to operate with Crosby and Malkin as their top options until the duo doesn't want to anymore. As for the Flyers, they have the chance to show they are even better next season, especially if their young stars progress in their development.
Make no mistake about it, considering how vicious the first-round series was, the intensity for the Battle of Pennsylvania matchups next season will only increase.
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