Off-Season Countdown: Will Malkin and Letang hit the market?

Ahead of the NHL Draft on July 7 and the opening of free agency on July 13, TSN.ca keeps you up to date with all the latest rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have publicly stated their desire to bring back both Evegni Malkin and Kris Letang this summer, but it appears neither is close to re-signing with two weeks to go until the unrestricted free agent market opens.

Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports that the Penguins and Malkin have not been talking regularly since preliminary discussions opened after the season, adding that "hockey people who speak with (general manager Ron) Hextall on a regular basis are very much under the impression that Malkin’s return to the Penguins is no sure thing."

As for Letang, Yohe reports the Penguins have tabled a three-year contract offer, but 35-year-old blueliner is looking for a five-year deal worth more than $8 million annually.

Rob Rossi of The Athletic reported earlier this month that Pittsburgh was prioritizing signing of Letang to a multi-year contract extension, with a goal of knowing his cap hit before intensifying talks with Malkin.

Penguins president of hockey operations Brian Burke said days later that signing both veterans remained atop the team's to-do list before their focus could turn to where to add elsewhere in the off-season.

"Well, we've got to see who comes back first before you worry about who you add. We've got to see who signs out of this group," Burke told Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "The first priority right from the get-go: [general manager Ron Hextall] has been dealing with [Kris Letang] and [Evgeni Malkin]. We've all agreed to keep those discussions secret. There's no reason to do it publicly.

"But our goal is to get both