Rumors around Sidney Crosby’s next contract are already picking up, and the message from the Penguins captain is clear: he’s not in a rush to go anywhere.
Pittsburgh is believed to be in talks with Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, as the star forward heads toward the final season of his current deal. With training camp approaching, both sides have a reason to get something done sooner rather than later. Crosby would like the situation settled so he isn’t asked about his contract every time he steps in front of the media.
“Pat (Brisson)'s talking to Kyle (Dubas). It’s just a little bit more difficult at my age as far as trying to project where you’re gonna be," Crosby told Mark Lazerus of The Athletic.
Crosby turned 39 last month, and age has become the obvious backdrop to any discussion about his future. Even so, his production and consistency remain remarkable this deep into his career, and the expectation is that he’ll stay with the Penguins. After last season’s surprise playoff appearance, a new deal feels like the likely outcome.
That next agreement could come relatively soon, and it may well be another short-term contract. Crosby said he wants to keep playing, but he also acknowledged that the timeline is no longer something he can pin down with certainty.
“I’d like to continue playing for a number of years," Crosby admitted." 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."
For Pittsburgh, the broader picture is changing around him. If this is indeed the final season with Evgeni Malkin as the last skater to leave the locker room after Crosby, then the captain is staring at a very different future. Retirement is where Malkin would eventually land, and it underscores how much could shift around Crosby even if he stays put.
Still, all signs point to Crosby remaining in Pittsburgh. A deal in the two-to-three-year range sounds plausible, while a year-by-year arrangement would seem less likely for both sides. Crosby appears willing to keep going until he can’t, but not to the point of overstaying his welcome.
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Penguins Prospects Have A Bigger Opportunity Than Just Winning In Detroit
The Penguins prospects headed to Detroit this week for the inaugural Prospect Tournament at Little Caesars Arena, a three-game look against Columbus, Detroit and Dallas that gives the organization a better read on its young talent before the season begins. After practicing at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the group arrived with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach Kirk MacDonald stressing that the bigger point is development, not just the scoreline.
For a team trying to keep its pipeline moving, these kinds of events matter because they can show who handles speed, structure and pressure against unfamiliar competition. The games will be streamed on the Penguins website, giving fans a chance to track more than the final result while the club sorts out which prospects are ready to take another step and which ones still have work to do. [Read more 🡒]
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For players like Jake Livanavage, there may still be a path to making the roster if the right opportunity opens up. Others, including Tommy Galvas, are still in the earlier stages of development and may not be ready to force the issue just yet. It leaves Pittsburgh with a familiar camp storyline, where promise is real but the margin for a young player to break through appears thinner than it did a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Crosby Weighed In On A Coaching Hire Fans Still Debate
When the Oilers turned to Mike Babcock as their new head coach, the move instantly stirred the kind of reaction that tends to follow him everywhere. Edmonton is clearly making a push to go from contender to champion, and the hire puts a longtime taskmaster in charge of a roster built around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, with the hope that structure and detail can help finish the job.
For Pittsburgh fans, the wrinkle is that Sidney Crosby has long been among the players who have spoken highly of Babcocks coaching and organizational demands. Even so, the reaction around the league has been split, because his track record continues to color how some view the decision. The Oilers are betting the upside outweighs the debate, but it is the sort of hire that will keep getting picked apart until the results settle the argument. [Read more 🡒]