Penguins captain Sidney Crosby plans to play for three more seasons
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby told reporters Tuesday he plans to play three more seasons in the NHL, if not more.
"Three for sure," Crosby said, "and then we’ll see after that."
Crosby, 34, registered 31 goals and 53 assists in 69 regular-season games in 2021-22, his 17th season since the Penguins drafted him first overall in 2005.
Questions regarding how much longer Crosby will play have little to do with his playing ability and more to do with his health. He was sidelined for various ailments during the regular season, then exited Game 5 of Pittsburgh's first-round playoff series with the New York Rangers following a high hit from defenseman Jacob Trouba. Given Crosby has sustained multiple head injuries over his career, it's fair to question how many more hits he can sustain.
As Crosby mentioned, part of his want to keep playing has to do with teammates Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang continuing to play and wanting to stay in Pittsburgh. The trio has played together since the 2006-07 season. Malkin is set to become a free agent this summer.
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