Sidney Crosby and Gordie Howe are both NHL superstars who have been underpaid, although only one of them has done it willingly, says Ken Campbell. Sidney Crosby [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA5MzU1OTMzMjMzNDU2OTMz/usatsi_23035612_168400847_lowres.jpg] Sidney Crosby With the exception of the late 1990s and early 2000s, NHL superstars have been grossly underpaid. In fact, you could argue that no players have borne the brunt of the salary cap the way the best players in the NHL have. But Sidney Crosby is taking things to a new level here. An $8.7-million salary cap for a guy who had 94 points last season? There's no reason to think Crosby isn't capable of similar numbers in 2024-25, even at the age of 37. And if he'd not signed a two-year extension [https://thehockeynews.com/news/pittsburgh-penguins-re-sign-sidney-crosby-one-of-the-greatest-players-in-the-history-of-the-game] and allowed his contract to end, there would have been no shortage of teams willing to drive the Brinks truck right up to his front door. But, as he's done for so long, Crosby willingly took a lot less to stay in Pittsburgh [https://thehockeynews.com/news/why-sidney-crosby-is-making-a-tremendous-personal-sacrifice-with-new-penguins-extension] and give the Penguins the financial latitude to surround him with enough talent to make the Penguins a contender. It actually could backfire and, in a strange way, set the Penguins back if they use the money to chase veterans at the expense of developing younger talent, but Crosby's intentions are pure. And the Penguins make Crosby the biggest steal of the Salary Cap Era, to be sure, perhaps the biggest in NHL history. The only comparable is Gordie Howe, who was exploited and ripped off for years by the Detroit Red Wings. At least Crosby is willingly taking less money. Here's more: Sidney Crosby and Gordie Howe are both NHL superstars who have been underpaid, although only one of them has done it willingly, says Ken Campbell. Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [https://info.thehockeynews.com/mail/microsites/951/1/gTeQVf?_gl=1*ustlbj*_ga*NjkyMzUxMy4xNjYzNjIwMzQ3*_ga_PK63FB1PME*MTcxMzUwOTExNi40NDguMS4xNzEzNTA5MjA5LjU5LjAuMA..]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum [https://thehockeynews.rtb.io/THNHOME/posts].
