Evgeni Malkin is about to become a Pittsburgh Penguins player. Malkin has spent three weeks training in the Los Angeles area, but is expected to sign with the Penguins on Tuesday _ two days before the start of rookie training camp.

Malkin's agents said last week they would open contract talks early this week, and the Penguins are planning a news conference Tuesday to announce the signing.

Malkin, the No. 2 pick in the 2004 draft, sneaked away from his Russian pro team last month in Finland so he could make a clandestine trip to the United States and begin preparing for his first NHL season.

Malkin's contract terms are effectively set by the NHL labor agreement, so he is expected to sign a deal identical to that reached by last season's rookie of the year, Alexander Ovechkin.

Ovechkin, drafted immediately ahead of Malkin, has a base salary of $984,2000, plus incentives worth $2.85 million per season. Ovechkin's contract includes $850,000 in relatively easy-to-reach incentives and another $2 million in additional bonuses such as winning a major league award.

Pat Brisson, one of Malkin's agents, said the negotiations would take "only a few minutes" because Malkin's deal would duplicate Ovechkin's.

Malkin, then 19, stayed with his hometown Metallurg Magnitogorsk team in the Russian Super League last season because there was no transfer agreement compensating Russian teams who lost players to the NHL.

When a proposed transfer deal fell through again this year, Malkin said he was pressured into signing a one-year contract with his Russian team. But after he bolted from the club on Aug. 12 in Helsinki, Malkin's agents faxed a letter of resignation to the Russian team.

Under Russian law, an employee can quit his job by giving two weeks' notice, even if he is under contract.

That two-week period expired more than a week ago, and Malkin's agents have been advised by lawyers they were free to negotiate an NHL contract for him. The Metallurg team has threatened a lawsuit seeking compensation if Malkin plays for the Penguins.

Ovechkin's former Russian team also sued after losing its star, but the case was thrown out of a U.S. District Court that cited a lack of jurisdiction in the matter.

Adding Malkin would be a major upgrade for the Penguins, who have finished last in the Atlantic Division for four consecutive seasons. Malkin could team with 19-year-old Sidney Crosby to give them what figures to be one of the best 1-2 center combinations in the NHL.

Malkin, often called the best player in the world not currently in the NHL, had two goals and six points for Russia during the Turin Olympics in February. He led the Metallurg team with 47 points, including 21 goals, in 46 games last season.

Malkin's parents, who remained behind in Magnitogorsk, told the Russian newspaper Zhizn last week they may have to relocate to another city because of harassment received following their son's departure.

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Evgeni Malkin signed his first NHL contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, slightly more than three weeks since slipping away from his Russian team and making a clandestine trip to the United States.

Malkin, who skated with Penguins star Sidney Crosby earlier in the day during an informal workout, watched wide-eyed as the team showed a highlights reel of some of his top plays to reporters.

The 19-year-old Malkin, widely considered the top player in the world not previously in the NHL, said while speaking though an interpreter that he was worried at times about his safety after sneaking away from his Russian Super League Metallurg Magnitogorsk team in Helsinki.

"I definitely was a little concerned," Malkin said, speaking through interpreter Olga McQueen.

While waiting for his visa, he stayed for three days in a hotel only about a half-mile from the Russian Embassy and had to walk past it to go to the American Embassy and get his travel visa to the United States.

Malkin has been training in Los Angeles since arriving in the United States on Aug. 17, but will begin working out with the Penguins as they prepare to open rookie training camp Friday.

"It is a very exciting day for the Pittsburgh Penguins and we commend Evgeni on his courage to come to Pittsburgh and live out his dream to play in the NHL," Penguins general manager Ray Shero said.

Malkin arrived in Pittsburgh on Monday night and had dinner at team owner Mario Lemieux's house, then took part in an informal skate with some Penguins players before attending Tuesday's news conference.

"I've always been very open in my desire to come to come to North America and be one of the best here," Malkin said.

Malkin's contract terms are effectively set by the NHL labor agreement, and he signed a deal identical to that reached by last season's rookie of the year, Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals.

Ovechkin, drafted immediately ahead of Malkin, has a base salary of $984,2000, plus incentives worth $2.85 million per season. Ovechkin's contract includes $850,000 in relatively easy-to-reach incentives and another $2 million in additional bonuses such as winning a major league award.