Getty Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby is eligible for an extension on July 1, 2024.
There have been no significant developments in the negotiations between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby regarding his contract extension.
According to The Athletic’s Rob Rossi on June 4, “Neither (Penguins GM Kyle) Dubas nor Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, have turned up the heat” in discussions about Crosby’s future contract.
However, per Rossi, Crosby’s deal is the “top priority” for Fenway Sports Group (the franchise’s owners) ahead of the 2025 season. The Penguins captain is under contract through the 2025 season, but he’s eligible to sign an extension as of the first day of the new league year on July 1, 2024.
Rossi: Penguins Expect to Finalize Crosby’s Contract in Summer 2024
Although there has been a “lack of movement,” as Rossi indicated, “talks are expected to intensify soon.”
The NHL is holding their annual Scouting Combine event in Buffalo and all franchises have representatives in the city. On top of that, there are player agents at the event facilitating all types of conversations.
Rossi’s sources indicate that “Dubas and Brisson are proceeding as though Crosby’s next contract will get finalized this summer.” The insider wrote that it’s unclear if that will happen on July 1 or later. That will depend on Pittsburgh’s cap management during the lead-up period to the new league year.
PuckPedia projects the Penguins project to have $12.9 million in available salary-cap space entering July. That figure, however, only includes 14 of the minimum 23 players to be rostered by the franchise next season.
Sidney Crosby’s Potential Contract Details
According to Rossi, Crosby is “not necessarily seeking his final NHL contract” and he has not provided a “firm date for when he plans to retire.”
All of that makes a potential short-term deal a real possibility for the Penguins and Crosby to agree to in the near future.
The center will turn 37 years old before the start of the 2025 season and he has spent his whole career in Pittsburgh since the Penguins drafted him with the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NHL draft.
Before the trade deadline on March 8, Crosby told Rossi that he desired to finish his career in Pittsburgh. By doing so, he will become one of the greatest single-franchise players in NHL history.
“I’ve said that forever (that he only wants to play for the Penguins throughout his career),” Crosby told Rossi in March. “But right now I’m trying to focus on getting into the playoffs.”
Crosby is coming off completing a second consecutive season without enjoying postseason hockey. He scored 94 points (42 goals and 52 assists) in 82 regular-season games in 2024.
Sidney Crosby Not Expected to Give Penguins Any ‘Hometown Discount’
Crosby will play hockey in Pittsburgh next year earning a high-but-not-hefty $8.7 million. That figure, Rossi reported, is expected to go up in his next deal.
“As previously reported, Crosby may command a higher cap hit than the $8.7 million from each of his past 16 seasons,” Rossi wrote.
CapFriendly’s data shows Crosby never having a cap hit of more than his current $8.7 million. That figure has been steadily present in his contract since he signed it in July 2012. During his career, Crosby’s salary topped at $12 million when he bagged that in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
For the last three seasons, however, Crosby has only earned a salary of $3 million.
Due to Crosby’s age and under the current CBA rules, the Penguins cannot sign him to a front-loaded deal. Additionally, his new contract cannot exceed eight seasons under the latest CBA rules, Rossi reported in April 2024.
In late March 2024, The Athletic reported the Penguins could offer Crosby a three-year, $30 million contract. Meanwhile, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on April 20 that he predicts a contract spanning two or three seasons at an AAV of $10.5 million.