With the Pittsburgh Penguins season over, attention can turn to Sidney Crosby and a possible extension.

PITTSBURGH – With the conclusion of the Pittsburgh Penguins 2023-24 season comes numerous questions about what the future holds for their captain. Sidney Crosby is entering the final year of his current contract, and many have started to speculate what his future may hold.

Since Crosby only has a year left, he is eligible to sign an extension with the Penguins when free agency opens on July 1. When asked if he intends to sign a new deal in Pittsburgh by then, Crosby played his cards close to his chest.

“Obviously, I’m going to talk to Kyle [Dubas] and have a conversation with him,” Crosby said. “We’ll see. It’s something that I’ll have conversations with him about.”

While Crosby is eligible to sign a deal this summer, there is some speculation that he may wait until after next season to look for a new deal. TSN’s Craig Button said he wouldn’t be shocked to see something like that.

“I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if he waits until the end of next contract to see where the Penguins are at,” Button said. “I think it becomes incumbent to sit with Sidney Crosby and outline what their plans are to make the team competitive.”

A lot of the discourse around Crosby's departure has centered around the Penguins' no longer being contenders. They are missing the postseason for the second consecutive year, and Crosby had a historic season.

The Penguins did go on a push at the end of the season, but it wasn’t enough to sneak them into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If the belief is that Crosby will determine his future based on the Penguins’ performance, these last few weeks have helped keep him in town.

“I think it was encouraging,” Crosby said. “Every single guy contributed to us having a chance down the stretch. That’s something that you can definitely build on, and hopefully, that little momentum that we got, we can take into next year.”

Crosby said before that he had no plans to leave Pittsburgh and will likely sign a deal as soon as he is able.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

Penguins Send Multiple Players to AHL for Playoffs

Penguins Defenseman Opens Up About Multiple Injuries

Jeff Carter Hints at Return to Penguins Organization

Penguins Core Hits Rare Achievement

Analyst Open to Penguins Firing Mike Sullivan

• undefined
• undefined