The Pittsburgh Penguins are in a tough spot right now, as they would like to get back into the playoff picture but don’t quite have the strength in their lineup to be able to do that. Heading into the 2024-25 season, one thing that remains a potential issue that looms over the team is forward Sidney Crosby and his contract situation. He has yet to sign an extension since becoming eligible on July 1, and fans have begun to get concerned as every day passes. While being worried about a potential trade makes sense considering the Penguins are retooling and won’t make the playoffs this season, and Crosby is on an expiring deal, there is almost no way he will play a game in any other jersey during his career. It’s time to put the Crosby trade rumors to rest, especially with the recent report from trusted pundit Rob Rossi.
Crosby’s 37th birthday was never a target date for a new deal that he and the team remain confident will be signed, multiple Penguins and league sources said. The sources were granted anonymity so they could speak freely about the process. Crosby has told close friends he intends to re-sign with the Penguins and that he, agent Pat Brisson and Penguins hockey president/general manager Kyle Dubas are largely aligned about details of a new contract; however, his priority this offseason has been on training for the upcoming season.
source – ‘Sidney Crosby’s next Penguins contract, Evgeni Malkin retirement: What I’m hearing’ – Rob Rossi – The Athletic – 08/08/2024
Rossi seemingly shuts down any ideas of a Crosby trade happening, reiterating that the two sides are comfortable with where they stand with contract negotiations and aren’t worried about letting things continue. He has made it clear his priority is on training for the upcoming season rather than extending as soon as he possibly can. While the two sides would surely like to get something done before the season starts, it seems like we can finally put any Crosby trade rumors to rest.
Crosby Likely to Finish Career With Penguins, Despite Slim Chance at Stanley Cup
As someone who is already likely to go down in the history books as one of the top-15 players of all time, Crosby has solidified himself as one of the best Penguins to ever don the jersey.
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As someone as superstitious as Crosby, combined with his public love for the city of Pittsburgh and the team over the course of his career, it’s unlikely he ever plays a game in another team’s jersey. It seems as though the Penguins’ core of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang will finish out their careers together in hopes of winning another Stanley Cup, but they may have a tough time pulling that off in the next couple of seasons.
When taking a look at the Penguins’ lineup heading toward the 2024-25 campaign, it’s not something that screams contender by any means. While Crosby has proven on numerous occasions that he can single-handedly carry the Penguins to the postseason, this may even be a struggle for him. It seems inevitable that the rebuild will be underway once the current Penguins core decides to retire, but they also don’t seem to be making any big moves in hopes of making one last big push for a championship.
Crosby has made it known that he doesn’t intend on playing anywhere else during his career, so any trade rumors made no sense from the beginning. At most, Penguins fans being worried about the contract situation makes sense, but both sides have admitted they’re comfortable letting the season play out. At the end of the day, Crosby will re-sign with the Penguins, it is simply a matter of when.
