NHL Rumors: Will Sidney Crosby Be a Pittsburgh Penguin For Life?

Welcome to a quick edition of NHL Rumors here at Full Press Hockey. The lull of the summer is here, as July 1 came and went just like that. All the big names have found new homes or stayed with their current clubs. Soon, restricted free agents will sign extensions or go to arbitration. However, most of the attention is on players entering the final year of their deals and whether they will extend. One of the biggest names out there is Sidney Crosby.

In this edition of NHL Rumors, we look at whether Sidney Crosby will remain a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the rest of his career or chase another Stanley Cup.

NHL Rumors: Does Sidney Crosby Remain in Pittsburgh

No Deal Yet for Crosby and the Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has been eligible for an extension since July 1, 2024. Crosby is entering the final year of his 12-year deal, which paid him $8.7 million a season. Many expected Crosby to sign that extension the minute July 1st came. Free agency opened, and there was no extension for Crosby and the Penguins.

Rob Rossi of The Athletic states that “team and League sources say that Crosby’s contract extension could be done soon.”

According to the report and Rossi’s sources, the deal that goes back to April is for three years at $10 million a season. Penguins General Manager and Crosby’s Agent Pat Brisson are trying to do this extension as quietly as possible. So far, they have done an excellent job of that.

Again, Crosby is in no rush to sign this extension, but it makes many wonder what is taking so long. We know Crosby wants to be a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins for life. However, he still wants to win. While in Pittsburgh, he won three Stanley Cups and was in four finals. The Penguins have missed the playoffs in the last two seasons, and that trend will continue this season.

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Some believe Crosby should leave Pittsburgh and try to win another Stanley Cup with another team. It would be best for his legacy. However, Crosby is loyal and wants to follow his idol and mentor, Mario Lemieux. Lemieux only played for one team. The same goes for Steve Yzerman. That is important to Crosby and his legacy.

Penguins ownership wants to keep winning with the core of Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin, and Crosby. However, pieces are still needed to win, and the Penguins only started retooling or rebuilding last season. Jake Guentzel left via trade. That was a guy the Penguins could have built around moving forward. He is in Tampa now.

But Crosby has a decision to make. It is a tough one, too, because of what it means to be a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Again, he is not in a rush to sign this extension. It could happen next week, next month, at the start of training camp, at the beginning of the season, or into the season.

But Crosby is still consulted on decisions. Whether he agrees with them or not is another story. It is hard to imagine Sidney Crosby in another uniform, but it has happened with other players—other Penguins legends before Crosby.

Who would have thought Steven Stamkos was going to leave Tampa? So, anything is possible. But with the Four-Nations Faceoff Next February and the Olympics after that, expect Crosby to keep playing for at least three more seasons before deciding whether he will call it a career.

At 37 years old, Sidney Crosby is still one of the best players in the NHL. What he does and how much he takes will determine how Dubas can build around this core.

However, following in the footsteps of Lemieux is the best move for his legacy, handing off the team to the next generation of Penguins. Plus, he can move up the rankings in points in Penguins history behind Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux.

It seems like Crosby and the Penguins will get something done, but it will take a little longer than most thought.