Before legendary player and current Pittsburgh Penguins part-owner, Mario Lemieux, retired in 2005, he passed the torch to an emerging Sidney Crosby, predicting that the young star would one day overtake his records. Today, Crosby stands on the threshold of achieving exactly that, needing a few more scores and assists to dethrone Lemieux from the Penguins’ regular-season records. He’s already surpassed Lemieux’s postseason marks and is just six goals short of taking his postseason record.
Recently, Crosby signed a new 2-year contract with the Penguins, taking his commitment to the team into a third decade. During this period, not only will Crosby have an opportunity to break Lemieux, Gretzky, and Yzerman’s NHL records, but his performance could also shape the future of the once prominent franchise. For the fan-beloved Crosby, who has stated that he only wants to play for the Penguins, maintaining his commitment would mean staying until the very end of his career, much like his mentor Lemieux.
The Penguins, however, have their own set of challenges to face. The team has consistently aged and, despite acquiring some promising young talents, they have failed to qualify for the playoffs for two consecutive seasons. The pressure is on Kyle Dubas, the team’s front-office boss, to rejuvenate the team and aim for a postseason appearance before Crosby’s contract expires. However, Crosby’s new contract allows for an exit before the final season, adding a layer of uncertainty to the future of Penguins.
The structure of Crosby’s contract, earmarked as 35-plus, offers a unique advantage to the Penguins. It includes two signing bonuses that essentially front-load the salary payments, leaving the bulk of the actual money payment to be completed before the final season. This can make Crosby a valuable trade asset in the 2026 offseason with a potential for a substantial return, especially if the team agrees to absorb some of Crosby’s cap hit.
However, Crosby’s commitment to the Penguins transcends the prospect of a lucrative trade deal. He has conveyed his intention to stay with the Penguins and aims to rebuild the team’s winning culture. His dedication could be put to the test next season, as he approaches his 39th birthday. Depending on the state of the roster, Crosby’s decision might also be influenced by the prospect of continuing to play without his longtime teammates Evgeni Malkin, who’s likely to retire, and Kris Letang, whose contract could impact a trade.
To safeguard Crosby’s future with the team, Dubas has the critical task of leveraging Crosby’s salary cap to fortify the Penguins in the upcoming seasons. If they manage to regain their footing by 2025-26, Crosby could play a key role in mentoring the team’s future talent, much like Lemieux did for him. His ideal swan song would be to lead the Penguins into the playoffs once more before retiring from the field. However, with Crosby’s heart set on the Penguins, an off-ice role post-retirement could also be a possibility. Just as he mentioned, he would very much like to “continue that.”
