Sidney Crosby Speaks About Plans For His NHL Future
Sidney Crosby at the NHL/NHLPA player media tour here in Vegas, on his next contract (he's eligible to sign an extension immediately): "Pat (Brisson)'s talking to Kyle (Dubas). It’s just a little bit more difficult at my age as far as trying to project where you’re gonna be. ……
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) September 8, 2026
"It's just a little bit more difficult at my age trying to project where you're going to be," said Crosby.
It's just different. You don't know where you're going to be at year to year, how you're going to feel and things like that. I mean, I'd like to continue playing for a number of years, but I just don't know what that number is. I guess your mind and body tell you that."
So whether this next extension is for one year or more, remains to be seen.
Certainly, the Pittsburgh Penguins legend is still performing at a top level, posting 29 goals and 74 points in 68 games last season. He had five points in the Pens' six playoff games, and hopes to get back to the postseason dance again this year.
Crosby & Penguins talking new deal... For what term is the big question
Negotiations are indeed ongoing on a new deal of some sort, as Crosby heads into the final season of the two-year, $8.7M AAV extension he signed two years ago. Once again, not wanting to let things get to the point of an expiring deal, both sides are being proactive. But as we just heard from Sid, the scope of that new contract particularly as far as term goes, is still up in the air.
And as for the AAV, that, too, is an evolving affair. He's earned that same $8.7M AAV for 18 straight years. But as Michael Traikos points out, Crosby was told by one media member today that, given the exploding contract boom this summer, that $8.7M salary "is now the equivalent of a second-pairing defenseman." Crosby laughed as he responded, "I haven’t really thought of it that way. It’s just the evolution. I think my first year, Gonch (Sergei Gonchar) was making $5 million, and he was the highest-paid guy, and the cap was $40 million. It’s just evolved. I try not to compare because now is different than then."
We all know he loves the $8.7 number... It'll be curious to see where that goes, though the term could be even more interesting.