Sidney Crosby Signs 2-Year Extension with Penguins, Keeping Rangers’ Nemesis Around…
Bad news for the New York Rangers: Sidney Crosby has just secured a two-year contract extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins, ensuring he won’t be leaving anytime soon.
The new deal, which lasts through the 2026-27 season, is valued at an average annual amount of $8.7 million. The 37-year-old center, born on August 7, 1987, is finishing up the last year of a 12-year, $104.4 million contract. This season, his cap hit remains at $8.7 million, though his actual salary is $3 million. Crosby became eligible to sign an extension on July 1 and could have become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Penguins General Manager Kyle Dubas expressed the profound impact Crosby has on the game, the city of Pittsburgh, and the team, calling him “the greatest player of his generation” and one of the greatest in the sport’s history. Dubas noted Crosby’s personal sacrifice to help the Penguins succeed both now and in the future.
Crosby, the leading active scorer in the NHL with 1,596 points (592 goals, 1,004 assists), will start his 20th NHL season on October 9 when the Penguins face the Rangers at PPG Paints Arena. He was also named one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players in 2017.
Crosby has been a significant thorn in the Rangers’ side since his NHL debut in October 2005, amassing 40 goals and 108 points against them in 85 regular-season games. Last season, he added two goals and two assists in three games against the Rangers. Along with Wayne Gretzky, Crosby is one of only two players to have averaged over a point per game in each of their 19 NHL seasons.
With Crosby’s extension, the Rangers will have to face him in divisional games multiple times each season for at least the next three years.
Despite trading high-scoring Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes before the NHL Trade Deadline in March, the Penguins are still committed to winning with their aging core. This approach could either result in long-term difficulties or make them a persistent challenge for the Rangers, who are aiming to repeat as Metropolitan Division champions and make a deep playoff run.
The Penguins also signed veterans Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang to contracts in the summer of 2022. Malkin, 38, and Letang, 35, join Crosby as key players in the team’s strategy. Despite his achievements, Crosby is not the highest-paid player on the Penguins; that distinction belongs to Erik Karlsson, acquired from the San Jose Sharks last summer, whose contract is worth an average annual value of $10 million.
Former Rangers center Kevin Hayes was another addition to the Penguins’ roster this summer. Hayes, 32, has two years left on his $3.571 million AAV deal.
Overall, the Penguins could have up to 11 players over 30 on their roster this season. With Crosby’s extension, it seems likely they will continue to add veterans in their pursuit of immediate success.
Crosby, a two-time Hart Trophy winner, remains optimistic about the Penguins’ ability to adjust their roster effectively. “It’s definitely possible,” he said during the NHL/NHLPA media tour in Las Vegas. “As a player, though, you always want to win. That’s why you play the game.”
