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New Deal With Penguins Won't Be Sidney Crosby's Last

The two-year deal signed by Sidney Crosby might not be his last deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Nick Horwat

Feb 15, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby (87) warms up before a game against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Feb 15, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby (87) warms up before a game against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
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After months of waiting, the Pittsburgh Penguins finally wrapped up their biggest piece of offseason business and signed captain Sidney Crosby to a two-year contract extension. The 2024-25 season will be the last in a contract that started ahead of the 2013-14 season, giving the Penguins at least three more years with Crosby in their uniform.

When this new deal expires, Crosby will be going on 40 years old, making this possibly the last contract of his Hall of Fame career.

Crosby has said before that he doesn’t see himself playing into his 40s, but he may have changed his mind on that. As he’s aged, he’s still proven to be one of the best players in the league, and certainly a focal point for the Penguins.

If Crosby is still producing at a high level in three years, it’s understandable to assume he’ll sign another deal in Pittsburgh to keep playing.

On a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Crosby was asked if he wants to still be playing into his 40s.

“To predict that now is impossible,” Crosby said. “I would say I’m probably a little more open than I was before to getting to that point if I feel good.”

The “if I feel good” line is important there because Crosby is clear that he doesn’t want himself or his contract to be an anchor on the Penguins’ salary situation. If the play starts to deteriorate, he’ll want to get his contract off the books as quickly as possible.

It helps that Crosby once again signed for an extremely affordable $8.7 million annually on his extension.

Meanwhile, even at 37, Crosby is yet to show signs of decline. He just had one of his best goal-scoring seasons with 42 tallies in the 2023-24 season and 94 total points. If the Penguins can shape up their power play and Crosby stays at his level, there’s no reason why he couldn’t have another 100-point season ahead of him.

There is the argument that Crosby wants to play for a winning team and the Penguins just aren't that good enough anymore. Well, Crosby believes the Penguins can still contend and his team-friendly price tag shows his commitment to getting a winning team built in Pittsburgh.

It doesn't matter what kind of state the Penguins are in as a team, Crosby will likely always be their best player and doing whatever he can to help the team win.

Father Time remains undefeated and will eventually get to Crosby, but for the time being the Penguin captain is winning the fight. If he can continue fending off the aging process for another few years, you can expect the Penguins to offer their captain another contract in 2027.

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Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

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