Evgeni Malkin's nagging elbow injury could require surgery.

The Pittsburgh Penguins forward told reporters Thursday he has an MRI pending on his elbow, according to Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford then revealed the extent of Malkin's ailment:

Rutherford said Malkin's elbow injury was "real serious" and he came back faster than some players might have. #Penguins — Shelly Anderson (@_ShellyAnderson) June 16, 2016

Malkin said his MRI is scheduled for Friday, and he can't rule out surgery until the results come in.

Malkin doesn't know if he'll need surgery on his elbow. Rutherford put it at a 50-50 chance -SK — Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) June 16, 2016

He missed the final 15 regular-season games and the Penguins' first playoff contest against the New York Rangers with what the club only referred to as an upper-body injury at the time.

Malkin collected six goals and 18 points in 23 playoff games after posting more than a point per game in the regular season. He notched two goals and an assist in six Cup Final games.

Penguins forward Bryan Rust said Thursday he broke his finger in Game 6 against the San Jose Sharks, according to Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe.

The rookie scored six postseason goals and had multi-goal games in two series-clinching wins.