Between Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, the Pittsburgh Penguins have more than their fair share of vital business to deal with this offseason.

The franchise mainstays both signed eight-year pacts in the summer of 2013 that began in the 2014-15 campaign, meaning they will become unrestricted free agents at the end of this season.

Malkin is interested in remaining in Pittsburgh, and his representatives have reportedly spoken to Penguins general manager Ron Hextall about a new contract, according to The Athletic's Josh Yohe.

The 35-year-old is also reportedly willing to take a pay cut to make it work, sources told Yohe.

That doesn't seem to be the case with Letang, with sources reportedly telling The Athletic that the blue-liner believes he has earned a raise.

Letang is having a fantastic 2021-22 season and has been a stable presence for Pittsburgh, which has been wracked by injuries all year long. The 34-year-old has 37 points in 38 games while leading all Penguins in ice time, eating up an average of 25:45 per contest.

Meanwhile, Malkin hasn't missed a beat since returning from offseason knee surgery, logging nine points in eight matchups.

Malkin would be pleased with a multi-year deal and is fine with making less money than teammate Sidney Crosby in the future, while Pittsburgh is reportedly willing to sign Letang to a short-term pact with the possibility of a pay raise, according to Yohe.

Letang has about $69 million in estimated career earnings, according to CapFriendly. Malkin has earned almost $117 million.

The Penguins signed Jeff Carter, another pending unrestricted free agent, to a two-year, $6.25-million extension on Wednesday.

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Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon went straight to the locker room following a nasty collision with Boston Bruins forward Taylor Hall during the opening period of Wednesday night's contest.

Hall knocked the shaft of MacKinnon's stick with his shoulder as the center tried to exit the zone, hitting him in the face and causing him to fall hard to the ice.

The 26-year-old was bloodied on the play but was able to skate off on his own. Hall was initially charged with a five-minute penalty, but after a review, the 30-year-old was given two minutes for interference.

Since a major penalty was called, it couldn't be reduced to no penalty, only a lesser penalty of the same infraction, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

MacKinnon has nine goals and 34 assists in 30 games so far this season.

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Legendary New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist didn't end his NHL career quite the way he expected to when a heart issue forced him to hang up his pads in August.

"My plan was to play until 41, 42. If I had that chance, I would do it because I still love the game," Lundqvist said during an appearance on the "NHL @TheRink" podcast.

"I have my moments where I'm like, 'Ah, it's too bad I didn't get an opportunity to play more because I love it so much.' But then pretty quickly I move into the grateful phase where I'm just happy with what I got and not what I didn't get."

Lundqvist plans to take his relaxed positive attitude into his jersey retirement ceremony at Madison Square Garden on Friday night.

"That place has meant so much to me. I've been so inspired by the building itself and what it means to walk in there every time. ... I felt so alive in that building at times," he reflected.

"If it's a preseason game or Game 7, that pressure is always there, and it was just awesome to feel it."

The 39-year-old spent 15 seasons in the Big Apple, and he's the franchise's leader in games played (887) and wins (459). Lundqvist said he "struggled" to picture himself playing anywhere but New York, but his love for the game pushed him to sign a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals after the Rangers bought out the final year of his contract following the 2019-20 campaign.

However, Lundqvist ended his career having played only for New York.

"In the end, the heart said 'no, it was not meant to be,'" he said. "It's funny how I struggled for such a long time if I should go somewhere else and play or not. The decision was made for me.

"It became symbolic to me, a little bit, the way it happened."

The King has since enjoyed his stint as a studio analyst with MSG Network and admittedly prefers to go off the cuff when it comes to speaking in public. But Friday will be a little different.

"We'll see how it goes. I don't think I’m comfortable winging it on Friday. I need to prepare something," he said.

Lundqvist's No. 30 will be the 11th jersey to reach the rafters in Rangers history. The ceremony will kick off before New York's contest against the Minnesota Wild.

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The NHL suspended Buffalo Sabres goaltender Aaron Dell three games for interference on Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson during Tuesday's contest, the league's Department of Player Safety announced.

Here's a look at the play that sent Batherson crashing into the boards:

Senators head coach DJ Smith said postgame that Batherson is expected to be sidelined long term with an ankle injury. The ailment is believed to be a high-ankle sprain, and the club will have a better recovery timeline when the swelling goes down, according to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.

Batherson, who leads Ottawa with 34 points, was slated to attend his first All-Star Game next week but was ruled out due to the injury. Teammate Brady Tkachuk is replacing him.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins signed veteran forward Jeff Carter to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $3.125 million, the team announced Wednesday.

The deal also has a full no-movement clause in both years, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

"Jeff's experience and versatility have made him a valuable addition to our team," Penguins general manager Ron Hextall said. "In addition to his on-ice contributions, his team-first attitude has made him a leader inside our locker room, and we are happy to have him under contract for two more years."

Pittsburgh acquired Carter from the Los Angeles Kings prior to the trade deadline in 2021. He's appeared in 50 contests since his arrival, tallying 21 goals and 16 assists.

Carter, 37, is in his 17th season and has twice won the Stanley Cup with the Kings. In 1,130 career games, he's scored 411 goals and added 377 assists.

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Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk will replace teammate Drake Batherson on the Atlantic Division All-Star squad next month, the team announced Wednesday.

Batherson is sidelined long term with an ankle injury after Buffalo Sabres goaltender Aaron Dell sent him crashing into the boards Tuesday with a hit that the NHL Department of Player Safety is currently reviewing.

The Senators' top pivot was in the midst of a career season, registering 34 points in 31 games before his injury.

Tkachuk is having a solid season himself. The 22-year-old's notched 27 points in 33 appearances while averaging over 18 minutes per night. It's the second All-Star nomination of his career.

All-Star Weekend runs Feb. 4-5 in Las Vegas.

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Eugene Melnyk does not agree with Ontario's current capacity restrictions for sporting events.

"It's my first game with empty seats," the Ottawa Senators owner told Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch during his team's win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night. "It's sad. I don't know who the people are that come up with these rules.

"They're misinformed and they're miscalculated. They should be challenged and they will be challenged."

Amid the surge of the omicron variant in December, the Ontario government reduced the maximum allowable capacity at sporting events and large entertainment venues to the lesser of 50% or 1,000 people.

Earlier in January, the province said it would allow the same locations to operate at 50% capacity or 500 people beginning Jan. 31, and restrictions would be eased to 50% capacity as of Feb. 21. The plan is to completely lift limits on March 14.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs as well as the NBA's Toronto Raptors and Scotiabank Arena, is in discussions with the province in hopes of lifting the restrictions, according to Garrioch.

The NHL postponed 14 Senators games - including eight home dates - this season due to COVID-19 issues. All of those matchups have been rescheduled, with five of them planned for after Feb. 21.

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