The Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby don’t seem to have advanced in their talks regarding a contract extension. Crosby is eligible to sign it starting on July 1.
According to Crosby’s agent Pat Brisson, speaking to the Montreal Canadiens‘ play-by-play announcer on 98.5FM Martin McGuire on June 28 (via dose.ca), the center’s future in Pittsburgh is not set in stone.
“(Crosby) is a very loyal person,” Brisson said. “But it has to make sense for him.”
Brisson said Crosby “would like the chance to win again,” and he believes the Penguins “may not have what it takes to allow Crosby to win another Stanley Cup.”
The outlet (dose.ca) also reports that at the time of the writing, “there are no discussions” regarding a new contract being offered to Crosby, although the report notes “it could happen in July.”
Latest Developments in Crosby’s Contract Negotiations
Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas spoke to reporters on Friday, June 28, before the first round of the NHL draft.
According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, Dubas was reticent to discuss the status of the negotiations with Crosby, saying that the talks would remain private between the player, his agent, and the organization.
“You hit the nail on the head,” Dubas said. “It will stay that way. It’s a private matter with Sid, Pat, myself, and our ownership. And we’ll keep it that way.
“I’m not going to comment.”
However, Yohe reported a few statements from Dubas regarding the importance of re-signing Crosby at some point in the near future.
“Sid’s an ultra-competitive person and wants the team to be a contender,” Dubas said. “As long as you have someone like Sid on the team and the players that we have, the process that we have to follow—as urgently as possible—is to acquire younger, hungrier players that can help us get back to that time.
“The real goal is to try and take where we’re at, and that era that the team has been through. And be able to hand that over to the next era. But we have to build that era up. It started last year, it goes to the trade deadline. Not a popular decision (to trade Jake Guentzel) but something we felt we had to do.”
Will the Penguins Let Sidney Crosby Go?
Crosby, already 36 and entering the final seasons of his professional career, has cemented his legacy in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins drafted Crosby with the No. 1 pick in 2005. Since then, Crosby has amassed a staggering 1,596 career points while leading the Penguins to three Stanley Cup titles.
Crosby remained as impactful as ever in 2024, scoring 94 points (42 goals, 52 assists) but failing to thrust the Penguins into the postseason for the second consecutive season.
Yohe answered a reader’s question in a mailbag published on June 27 regarding the status of Crosby’s negotiations.
“I doubt the specifics have been negotiated but I think both sides have a good understanding of what the numbers ultimately will be,” Yohe wrote when asked if he suspects that Crosby’s contract has already been negotiated. “Crosby is going to receive whatever it is he desires. Dubas, I promise you, isn’t going to play hardball with the captain.
“Crosby might take more than the $8.7 million that has been his preferred salary during most of his career. That’s his right if he requests it. He’s always outplayed his contract. But I also think the Penguins realize Crosby isn’t going to make outrageous demands. There is no detectable stress from either side of this situation, so far as I can tell.”
PuckPedia projects that the Penguins will enter free agency with $10.7 million in cap space and already have 18 players under contract.
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