Sidney Crosby future in Pittsburgh is in jeopardy according to Elliotte Friedman
Sidney Crosby has long been considered the face of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but now his future may lay beyond the team as he approaches his final contract.
Despite being the captain and the face of the Pittsburgh Penguins since he was drafted way back in 2005, Sidney Crosby has yet to sign an extension with the team, despite the 2024/25 season being the final one on his current contract. There has been whispers that a deal was close to happening, especially on Crosby's birthday, but up until this point, nothing has come to fruition, and it's certainly making Penguins fans nervous.
Crosby's teammates reportedly want out, with Evgeni Malkin reportedly looking to return to Europe after this season, while Kris Letang has requested a trade at points to Montreal, so in the blink of an eye, one of the NHL's last great trios may be done before we know it.
For Sidney Crosby however, the thought of playing for another NHL team has rarely been made public, but now, according to Elliotte Friedman, that is closer and closer to becoming a reality.
In his report, Friedman reiterates that Crosby wants to remain a Penguin and retire with the only NHL team he's ever known, but if the two can't work out a contract and figure out how to improve the team around him, the possibility is that he could move on sometime soon. In 2023/24, Crosby had yet another stellar year, putting up an impressive 42 goals and 94 points in all 82 games at age-37, and while he'll be close to 38 when he hits free agency, there's optimism that he can still have some great years left in the NHL.
It has long been expected that if Crosby leaves Pittsburgh, pairing up with fellow Nova Scotia native Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado could be the way to go, but if GM Kyle Dubas and Crosby can't figure things out, there will be teams lining up from all over the league to land this era's greatest star.
Source: Hockey DB
Sidney Crosby stats
| POLL | ||
Will Sidney Crosby leave the Pittsburgh Penguins before his career is over? | ||
| Yes | 200 | 49.6 % |
| No | 203 | 50.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
