Penguins Discussing Extension With Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby has been a fixture in the lineup for the Penguins for the past 21 years.  It appears he has no intention of stopping that number anytime soon.  Speaking with reporters recently including The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus (Twitter link), the center indicated that discussions about a contract extension are ongoing.  While he’s unsure of how much longer he intends to keep playing, he knows he doesn’t want season number 22 to be his last:

I’d like to continue playing for a number of years. It’s just I don’t know what that number is. I guess your mind and body tell you that eventually. Right now I feel pretty good, though.

Crosby, the number one pick back in 2005, has more than lived up to his draft billing as a franchise center.  He has surpassed the point-per-game mark in every season, a league record.  That has Crosby in seventh all-time in NHL scoring with 1,761 points in 1,420 games.  As long as he stays healthy, he should move into fifth this season with a shot at moving into fourth as he sits 89 points behind Gordie Howe for that mark.

On top of his impressive consistency offensively, Crosby has been remarkably consistent with his cap hit.  He has had the same $8.7MM cap charge since his entry-level deal expired back in 2008; this will be his 19th straight campaign playing on that contract.

Crosby is coming off a year that saw him put up 29 goals and 45 assists in 68 games, still legitimate top-line production.  Accordingly, even though he’s now 39, there’s a case to be made in this new salary cap environment that he’s worth a raise on his current price tag, although given his affinity for the number 87, it stands to reason that he’ll be content with keeping his current AAV intact on any future deal.

With only $53MM in commitments for next season per PuckPedia, the Penguins have more than ample space to afford to bring Crosby back beyond the upcoming campaign.  At this point, the decision probably comes down to whether he wants to sign a one-year deal and go year-to-year or if he’s open to making another two-year commitment like his current contract.  He has plenty of time to figure out which route he prefers.