- Josh Yohe expects Sidney Crosby to sign a new Penguins deal before mid-September
- Agent Pat Brisson has not talked terms with Crosby yet, but will before summer ends
- Read below for the likely term, Crosby’s stance on leaving Pittsburgh and the dates that matter
Sidney Crosby’s next contract sounds less like a negotiation and more like a formality.
Penguins insider Josh Yohe of The Athletic laid out the timeline Monday, and he does not think it drags on much longer.
“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 has one season left on the two-year, $17.4 million extension he signed in September 2024. He turned 39 on Aug. 7 and is about to start his 22nd year in Pittsburgh, the longest any athlete has spent with a pro team in that city.
Yohe checked in with agent Pat Brisson about where things stand. Brisson had not brought the deal up with his client yet.
“He said he hadn’t discussed the contract with Crosby yet, indicating he was letting his most famous client enjoy his summer before getting back to business. Brisson said there’s an understanding that they’ll discuss the contract before summer is over.”
That leaves a tight window. Pittsburgh’s first preseason game is Sept. 21, and the regular season opens Sept. 30 in Philadelphia.
Term is the only real question, and Yohe pegged it at one or two more seasons. Crosby said back in the spring that he plans to go year to year from here, which he made clear was not the same thing as winding down. Yohe tracked him down in Switzerland in May and came away with the same read:
Trade chatter around the captain died down once the Penguins got back to the playoffs, and Yohe wrote that Crosby has insisted both privately and publicly that he has no interest in playing anywhere else. Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are both signed and still in the room with him.
He is also still the best player on the roster. Crosby led the Penguins with 74 points in 68 games last season, 29 goals and 45 assists, another season above a point per game.
Money has never been the sticking point with him, and Kyle Dubas is not going to make it one now.
“These aren’t expected to be negotiations in the traditional sense. Dubas is fully aware that Crosby is a living legend and is happy to have him in Pittsburgh for as long as possible. When the time comes, Crosby and Brisson will name their price and term, and the Penguins are likely to accept the demand.”
The roster around him is the messier project. Pittsburgh still has 18 forwards competing for 13 spots heading into camp, and that math gets sorted out long before anyone worries about whether No. 87 puts pen to paper.
Circle Sept. 21. If Crosby is not signed by the time the Penguins hit the ice for the preseason, that would be the surprise.
