Penguins, Sidney Crosby Have One Big Hurdle in Negotiations

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby are reportedly working on the final details of a new contract extension.

Apr 15, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) skates with the puck against the Nashville Predators during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Sidney Crosby is still the Pittsburgh Penguins' best player entering his age-37 season. The future Hall of Fame center should maintain that status this upcoming season, as he looks to move up the all-time NHL points leaderboard and keep the Pens near the playoff race.

The Penguins and Crosby are also looking to finalize a contract extension. In what will likely be his final NHL contract, the two sides are trying to find the right balance of paying Sid his fair share and making it worthwhile for an organization on the verge of rebuilding.

At the recent NHL/NHLPA Media Tour, Crosby instilled hope that a deal would be finished soon. During the tour, he also sat down with NHL insider and host of the 32 Thoughts podcast Elliotte Friedman to discuss the upcoming season and some of the big topics facing the Penguins. When his contract status came up, Crosby made it clear that a deal will get done once they get over one major hurdle.

Crosby isn't sure how long he wants to play for. This will be his 20th season in the NHL, and according to Sid he doesn't want to project too far when it comes to his remaining playing days. It's really up to how he feels and how his body responds to more tread on the tires.

"It's hard to say and predict that," he said. "I'd love to sign an eight-year deal right now, don't get me wrong. But, with my age and not knowing how long I'm gonna play for, we'll see what that term is. But it wouldn't be something on the longer end, I don't think."

The most important thing for Crosby is to continue to play at a high level. He isn't seeking certain protections in his contract, or a guarantee that he can challenge for a Stanley Cup, or even a financial bar that he won't budge on. The biggest hurdle is Crosby himself. He isn't sure how much longer he can continue being the dominant player he's known as, and he's made it clear that he won't play once that changes. In the meantime, both he and the Penguins are confident a deal will be done soon.

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