Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins are not worried about starting the regular season without a new deal in place for their captain. General manager Kyle Dubas stated that talks with Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, will keep going without a set deadline.
Crosby is in the last year of his two-year, $17.4 million contract, which has an $8.7 million average annual value. The 39-year-old center is getting ready for his 22nd NHL season, but both he and the Penguins are fine with letting the contract situation play out during the season.
Sidney Crosby begins final contract year
Crosby signed his current deal on Sept. 16, 2024, and will start the new season with his future still up in the air. Dubas said the Penguins feel no pressure to finish an extension by a specific date, with both sides ready to keep talking.
Crosby has also made it clear that playing is his main focus rather than negotiations. He said he was fine with the team handling the talks while he focused on the season, which starts for Pittsburgh against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Wednesday.
The Penguins captain paced the team with 74 points in 68 games last season, scoring 29 goals and adding 45 assists. He also pushed his NHL record to 21 seasons averaging at least one point per game, as Pittsburgh made it back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a three-year absence.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are taking a patient approach
Crosby admitted that his physical condition can be hard to predict at this point in his career. He said he could not know how he would feel in January and therefore did not want to look too far ahead, instead focusing on taking care of himself through the long season.
Dubas said the Penguins understand that view. He explained that contract decisions involving players in their late 30s or 40s can become less about deadlines and more about how the player feels during the season and whether he stays comfortable with the direction of the team.
Dubas also said he saw no sign that Crosby would be in poor physical shape, pointing to the preparation the veteran puts into maintaining himself. For now, the organization is ready to let the situation develop naturally rather than force a decision.
Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson face similar questions
Crosby is not the only veteran Penguin whose future needs attention. Evgeni Malkin signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract on May 26, 2026, keeping him from becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Malkin recorded 61 points in 56 games last season, with 19 goals and 42 assists. The 40-year-old forward has said he plans to continue his NHL career, even if that eventually means playing somewhere other than Pittsburgh. He has also said he is not committed to retiring after the coming season.
Dubas, however, does not want to handle Malkin’s situation on a day-to-day or year-by-year basis again this season.
Erik Karlsson is also entering the final season of his contract. The 36-year-old defenseman is playing out the last year of an eight-year, $92 million agreement originally signed with the San Jose Sharks in 2019 before he was acquired by Pittsburgh in 2023.
Erik Karlsson and the Penguins plan for the future
Karlsson finished second among Pittsburgh players with 66 points in 75 games last season, recording 15 goals and 51 assists. He said on Sept. 17 that there had been no discussion about a new contract and described the situation as straightforward with one year remaining on his deal.
Karlsson also acknowledged that the Penguins are at a difficult stage as a team, although he said he has enjoyed his time in Pittsburgh and likes being there. Dubas said communication with the defenseman has been direct, open, and positive.
The futures of Crosby, Malkin, and Karlsson are part of a broader transition for Pittsburgh. All three veterans played important roles in the Penguins reaching the playoffs last season, although they were eliminated by the Flyers in six games in the Eastern Conference First Round.
Dubas said the organization’s objective is to move away from the middle of the League by developing young stars and becoming less dependent on aging veterans. He acknowledged that achieving that goal could require difficult decisions, with the ultimate measure being whether Pittsburgh is moving closer to becoming a team capable of contending for the Stanley Cup.
