The last time Sidney Crosby was poised to enter the final year of his contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was understandably noisy, however, in the exact same situation two years later, it’s been rather quiet.
Part of that is because Crosby shut down talk of him leaving last time around, and it also helps that the Penguins returned to the playoffs for the first time in four seasons in 2025-26.
As a result, there isn’t much concern about a new deal getting done. In fact, team reporter Josh Yohe believes Crosby could sign another extension to remain in Pittsburgh before the 2026-27 campaign starts.
“The smart money would be on Crosby signing a new deal sometime between now and the middle of September. That’s how it went before; that’s the timeline Crosby is comfortable with, and a new contract seems inevitable.
Crosby made it clear in May that he’s willing to work with the Penguins on his salary and contract term before his current deal expires. He indicated that he would like to play for a few more seasons, health permitting. When the puck drops for opening night Sept. 30 in Philadelphia, Crosby will begin his 22nd season with the Penguins, the longest any athlete has played for a Pittsburgh professional sports team. There’s a real chance Crosby will have a new deal before that day,”
The 39-year-old Crosby, as mentioned, is set to enter the second and final year of the two-year, $17.4 million contract extension he signed with the Penguins in September 2024. He once again produced at over a point-per-game rate in 2025-26, with 74 points (29 goals, 45 assists) tallied in just 68 games played.
Even when rumors about his departure have been at a fever pitch, Crosby has always been adamant about wanting to play in Pittsburgh forever, so that surely hasn’t changed. It doesn’t hurt to have his longtime running mates, re-signed Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, still around as well.
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