PITTSBURGH — Evgeni Malkin got his wish. So did Sidney Crosby. So did the fans.There is a lot of good in Malkin receiving a one-year, $5.5 million contract on Tuesday. Malkin is a Pittsburgh Penguins franchise icon and, in what could be his final NHL season, he’ll receive the sendoff he deserves.Not many of Pittsburgh’s all-time legends received that kind of sendoff. Jaromir Jagr was traded and never came back. Terry Bradshaw blew his elbow in New York. Franco Harris went to the Seattle Seahawks. Roberto Clemente tragically died at 38. Troy Polamalu got a call from Mike Tomlin in the middle of the offseason to tell him he wouldn’t be back. Jack Lambert got turf toe and was done.Malkin is of their class.So, for 42 home games next season, Malkin will be lavished with love, as he should be. We do nostalgia well in Pittsburgh, and we honor franchise icons better than most. For Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang, it’s never been about the money. It’s never been about the fame. They love the sport and they love playing in front of Pittsburgh fans. Of all the magnificent attributes of the Penguins’ Big Three, loyalty is probably at the very top. Those three guys are Penguins to their very core.In the layer below the euphoria, however, lies a very important question: Now what?The Penguins will begin next season with Crosby at 39, Malkin at 40 and Letang at 39. Defenseman Erik Karlsson, who was brilliant last season, turns 36 in a few days.Dubas consistently talks about the Penguins’ need to get younger. As long as their core doesn’t fall off a cliff, they’re not going to get a top-five pick anytime soon. Crosby is too good for that. Given the run Dubas has been on over the past 18 months, he might be too good for that, too. And it’s true, they did get younger with some impressive additions. But their playoff series loss to the Philadelphia Flyers still shows how long they have to go.How will they quickly accomplish their stated goal of becoming Stanley Cup contenders by bringing back 40-year-olds?