April 20, 2024 | 9:50am ET
TheFourthPeriod.com
CROSBY TO DISCUSS EXTENSION WITH PENGUINS
Sidney Crosby, centre
The Pittsburgh Penguins 2023-24 season didn’t end the way they anticipated and with their campaign now over, management will focus on assembling a group worth of contention next season.
One key item on the docket for Penguins GM Kyle Dubas is getting his captain, Sidney Crosby, locked up to a contract extension.
Crosby, 36, has one more year left on his current contract and comes with a $8.7 million salary cap hit. There was talk earlier this season, prior to the trade deadline, that he is likely to sign a two-year or three-year extension as soon as July 1, once he is eligible to do so, and Crosby told reporters on Friday he will soon discuss his future with Dubas.
“Obviously, I’m going to talk to Kyle and have a conversation with him,” he said. “But we’ll see. I think it’s just something that I’ll have conversations with him about.”
After putting up another 90+ point performance this season, registering 42 goals and 52 assists for 94 points in 82 games, Crosby’s confidence remains high. However, as he explained, just because he registered back-to-back 90-point seasons doesn’t mean he equates his game to his next contract.
“I’ve aways just gone year-to-year. That’s always kind of served me well as far as how I evaluate my game,” Crosby said. “There’s always a lot of factors. I think that’s separate than talking contract, and obviously at my age, and things like that, there will be a lot of factors. But as far as evaluating my game, I don’t look any differently at how much longer I can play based off that. It’s always kind of just evaluating my game, not my age.”
Crosby did admit to liking his team’s performance as they tried to get back on track and chance down a playoff spot, only to come short. Those signs could certainly influence some of the moves Dubas wants to make this off-season, something Crosby views as a positive sign.
“I think it was encouraging,” he said. “With the situation we were in, it could have went a lot of different ways. I thought everyone really came together. Every single guy contributed to us having a chance down the stretch. I think that’s something you can definitely build on.”