Although the Pittsburgh Penguins have experienced major disappointment over the last two years by failing to make the Stanley Cup playoffs, nobody is blaming Sidney Crosby. He has arguably been one of the more underrated players over the last couple of seasons by securing back-to-back 90+ point totals without having much of a supporting cast.
By nearly willing his team to the playoffs and being the organization’s lifeblood, one of the major talking points surrounding the Penguins is Crosby’s upcoming extension. There was some speculation that Crosby would sign yesterday on his birthday but ultimately that never came to fruition.
He’s surely set to increase his $8.7MM salary from the last 11 years but how much higher will he go? Will he look to get the money he has earned or take a hometown discount so that Pittsburgh has the flexibility to upgrade the players around him?
Evolving Hockey currently projects Crosby to land a three-year extension worth an AAV of $10.8MM. Given his inherent value to the organization, Crosby should easily be able to land a similar salary if not more. Given that his longevity in the league is becoming more and more apparent with each passing year, Crosby could reasonably ask for a five-year, $60MM contract from the only team he’s ever played for.
Nevertheless, regardless of what he has earned, the main question still stands. Will Crosby look for a high-salary deal to get the payday he has earned for so many years, or take another hometown discount so the Penguins are better set up for success?
TWELVE TO FOURTEEN?
I wouldn’t be surprised if he signs for $8.7M again.
That’s what I’m expecting
What ever it turns out to be, it will further shackle the mediocre Pens. Not good enough to make the playoffs, not bad enough to get good draft picks.
Similar to the Caps. Saddled with an overpriced legend.
He can’t win another cup in Pittsburgh. Where could he go for another chance, Toronto?
There’s a difference between the two. Cap’s legend is chasing the hockey’s main record. If he never plays for another team, the record, unlike Gretzky’s, will be closely associated with the franchise. That’s worth something, especially to a narcissistic owner. In fact, he might want to keep him long past his sell-by date, just to protect the record by making it as high as he can.
Crosby isn’t chasing any records that really matter.
Another thing is the constraints on what the team can do. Neither team can rebuild. But Ovi agreed to play a grinding style for the sake of making the playoffs. The Caps had only a +6600 preseason odds to win the cup but made the playoffs. The Pens were +2500 and didn’t.
Will Crosby agree to grind it out? Judging by last year, maybe he won’t.
Saddled.
With the second best player ever still playing at an elite level.
Woe is us.
Poor guy, eh? Only won 3 more Cups than TOR or EDM have or will.
$8.7 dollars
Cap room for days!!!!
$30 million over 3 years.
Or $8.7 M AAV over 5 or 6 years.
“Given that his longevity in the league is becoming more and more apparent with each passing year” ???
Jesus, Brennan. Show me the forwards who’ve had All-Star-caliber seasons at 40+ over the last half century. Poking around, I’ve found exactly two: John Bucyk and Teemu Selanne. (If we want to toss in defensemen as well, Ray Bourque, Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios too.)
Crosby is 37. That’s the age where sure, a rare handful of guys keep up elite production. It’s also the age on or before which the vast majority of great players drop off the cliff, all of a sudden. Bourque is the only player I’ve found who *retired* as a still-elite player in his 40s. There are the Lidstroms and the Recchis who were still top-six/top-four caliber right to the end, but that’s as far as it goes.
The question can’t just be “Is the 80-90 pt 2025 season Crosby is likely to produce worth 12×5?” It has to be “Did that season justify paying Crosby 12×5 for a 50-pt season in 2027 and a 27-pt season in 2029?” Pittsburgh has to stop taking the damn poison pills of aging players locked into unmovable big money/big term contracts. It’s just not in the position of rewarding Sid for past performance. Would that they were, but they’re not.