Sidney Crosby is heading toward another contract decision, and the signs point to a familiar kind of timeline. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain is entering the final season of his current two-year, $17.4 million deal, and a new agreement could be in place before training camp opens.
Josh Yohe of The Athletic said Crosby’s last extension may offer the best clue for what comes next. Crosby signed that two-year contract on Sept. 16, 2024, just before camp, and Yohe believes the next one could follow the same path.
“The smart money would be on Crosby signing a new deal sometime between now and the middle of September. That’s how it went before; that’s the timeline Crosby is comfortable with, and a new contract seems inevitable.”
The length of the next contract is still the biggest unknown. A short-term deal appears to be the likeliest outcome, with one or two years both in play. Crosby can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2027, but the expectation is that he’ll remain in Pittsburgh beyond the 2026-27 season.
Crosby himself has already made one thing clear: retirement is not on his mind. When Yohe asked him about the idea that 2026-27 could be his final season while they were at the IIHF World Championship in Switzerland in May, Crosby’s answer was simple.
“Not at all," Crosby said.
That same conversation also shed light on how Crosby approaches his deals. He has long preferred to handle contracts on a year-to-year basis, even if he’s still open to something longer if the situation fits.
“Yeah, I’m saying year to year based on contracts,” Crosby said, as quoted by Josh Yohe. “It just seems to make sense.
I mean, it could change. We’ll see.
Kyle (Dubas) and I haven’t even talked about it. But I’ll talk with Pat (Brisson) and Kyle later this summer.
We’ll talk about it and do what makes sense.”
He added that a longer commitment is still on the table if it works for both sides.
“If it does make sense to sign for a couple of years, then we’ll do that.”
For now, Crosby is coming off another productive season. He put up 74 points in 68 games in 2025-26, scoring 26 goals and adding 48 assists while missing about four weeks because of an injury. It was the 21st season of his career in which he averaged at least a point per game.
Crosby has spent his entire NHL career in Pittsburgh, and he has led the Penguins to three Stanley Cup championships.
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