Some of the speculation in the NHL has turned to three star players who are eligible to sign contract extensions but haven't yet. Leon Draisaitl and Sidney Crosby [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA3NjM2MDk2NTI2MzI5NDk3/usatsi_22687828.jpg] Leon Draisaitl and Sidney Crosby The NHL free-agent market has been depleted less than a week after it opened on July 1. Trade rumors have also faded as many teams sought to fill their roster needs via free agency. That's shifted the focus in the rumor mill toward players eligible to sign contract extensions. Most of the attention is on Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner. Crosby, 36, carries an $8.7-million cap hit through next season. The 28-year-old Draisaitl's is $8.5 million while the 27-year-old Marner's is $10.9 million. Pittsburgh Hockey Now's Dan Kingerski wondered [https://pittsburghhockeynow.com/where-sidney-crosby-contract-kyle-dubas-planning-full-rebuild-12-months/] why the Penguins didn't announce Crosby's new contract on July 1. He acknowledged Crosby and Penguins GM Kyle Dubas said they'd keep their discussions private, but he couldn't help noticing an apparent lack of optimism between the two. Kingerski wonders if the direction of the Penguins might be why their captain and franchise player hasn't yet put pen to paper. Meanwhile, Toronto Star columnist Nick Kypreos indicated [https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/this-maple-leafs-off-season-is-off-to-a-nice-start-theres-a-long-way/article_0a3c3358-37d8-11ef-b454-fb40c384cd11.html] the two sides were talking but there was no hurry from the Crosby camp. Meanwhile, Draisaitl's agent Jiri Poner told [https://www.eishockeynews.de/nhl/artikel/2024/07/01/frage-nach-leon-draisaitls-zukunft-agent-jiri-poner-wird-deutlich/d4566cd4-6dd0-4c55-b49a-8a892b4967ba.html] Michael Bauer of Germany's EishockeyNews that the ball was in the Oilers' court. “There's no rush yet, but either it happens quickly, i.e. by the end of August, or it doesn't work out at all,” Poner said in German. “It will also become clear whether Edmonton wants him or not. Leon holds all the trump cards.” Poner also addressed the rumors in the North American media suggesting the Oilers could trade Draisaitl if they failed to agree to an extension. “There are two important points. Firstly: What will a club be willing to give up for a short-term deal? Leon would then be a free agent and the club would lose far too much. And secondly: What would Connor McDavid do a year later when his contract expires and Edmonton has already given up his friend?” Poner expressed confidence that an agreement can be reached with the Oilers that will please both sides. As for Marner, his future with the Leafs has been the stuff of rumors since the Leafs were bounced from the first round of the playoffs. Leafs GM Brad Treliving didn't reveal whether he and the Marner camp are discussing an extension. “We're not going to address it, there's nothing to update there,” he told reporters [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/were-not-going-to-address-it-maple-leafs-gm-brad-treliving-continues-to-dodge-questions-about-mitch-marners-future] on July 1. At least Marner is no longer the only big name in the rumor mill regarding contract extensions. Speculation over Crosby and Draisaitl will take some of the spotlight from the Leafs winger. Negotiating lucrative long-term contracts for players of that caliber often takes time. Sometimes, it can take the entire off-season to hammer out a deal. It could even stretch into training camp or the early weeks of the regular season before an agreement is reached. Nevertheless, the longer those talks go, the more questions will be raised about their futures with their current clubs.
