Insider Rob Rossi of the Athletic has revealed that Penguins fans don’t need to panic as a contract extension with Sidney Crosby should be happening shortly.
‘Crosby’s 37th birthday was never a target date for a new deal that he and the team remain confident will be signed, multiple Penguins and league sources said,’ Rossi shared. ‘…Crosby has told close friends he intends to re-sign with the Penguins and that he, agent Pat Brisson and Penguins hockey president/general manager Kyle Dubas are largely aligned about details of a new contract; however, his priority this offseason has been on training for the upcoming season. There are ‘no issues at all’ between Crosby and the Penguins.’
Rob Rossi reports that Sidney Crosby is uncertain about how much longer he wants to continue playing hockey and doesn’t want to hold back the Penguins if he decides to retire sooner rather than later.#Crosby has assured his close friends that he has no plans to leave… pic.twitter.com/RQYeG845hX
— Hockey Patrol (@HockeyPatrol) August 8, 2024
Crosby has become the source of some trade rumors recently due to these stalled contract talks, and also because the Penguins missed the playoffs for a second straight season.
Multiple sources around the league are saying that Crosby does in fact want to remain in Pittsburgh and one day retire as a Penguin. However, the longer Crosby takes to sign his name on a new contract, the fear will keep rising as to whether he could have a change of heart some day and decide to leave.
☑️ Sidney Crosby’s next contract
☑️ Evgeni Malkin’s future
☑️ TV/radio broadcastsUpdates on those @penguins subjects (and more) in this story for @TheAthleticNHL https://t.co/70ShFmRJBL
— Rob Rossi (@Real_RobRossi) August 8, 2024
Penguins fans are being told to relax and remain calm, as Crosby’s contract situation will eventually get resolved, however delays always naturally lead to panic and uncertainty.
‘Crosby has counted only $8.7M against the cap on his past two contracts, granting the Penguins his services at a perceived below-market level for the past 16 seasons,’ Rossi added. ‘He is unsure exactly how long he wants to keep playing and ‘doesn’t want to put (the Penguins) in a bad spot’ if he signs a longer deal and doesn’t play it out in full, a source close to Crosby said.’
Despite the fact that it is still the middle of summer and Crosby still does have one year remaining on his contract, fans and everyone around the team would like a deal to get done prior to labor day, as it is never a good thing to enter training camp with the thought of having to sign an extension looming over your head.
Sidney Crosby has played in 1,272 games in the NHL, all with the Penguins, and has scored 592 goals and added 1,004 assists. The team and fans definitely do not want to lose him.
