With Auston Matthews’ recent signing to a record-breaking contract, speculation has already started to ramp up as far as other soon-to-be elite free agents. While it is far too early for a lot of the chatter, it’s fair to wonder what kind of money these elite free agents will command when they come up for new deals. Connor McDavid was asked recently about it, and it is exactly what Dan Kingerski writes about in Pittsburgh Hockey Now. Kingerski wonders what type of contract Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby will get when his contract ends in two years. The comparison isn’t a great one given that Matthews and Crosby are in wildly different places in their respective careers, however, it is a fair question to ask given that Crosby is still playing at an elite level despite being 36 years old, and he will be eligible for an extension in less than a year.
Crosby is entering the 11th season of a 12-year deal he signed back in 2013. At the time, the Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native’s $8.7MM cap hit was a considerable discount to give the Penguins. It allowed the team to have the cap space to surround him with elite talent. It was also a huge risk from the Penguins’ perspective given that Crosby was coming off multiple concussions, including one that put him out of action for nearly a year. But the Penguins made the move, which paid off in spades as the team captured Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.
Crosby has given the Penguins a discount on every extension he has signed thus far in his career with both of his extensions coming with that $8.7MM cap hit. It has set the tone for Pittsburgh and allowed the Penguins to keep many of their stars under below-market contracts. For Crosby, he was always a team player but was also able to make nearly as much money off the ice as he did on it.
Pittsburgh fans and media have speculated about Crosby’s future since well before Matthews signed his extension and will likely continue to do so right up until he signs his next contract. But what might that look like?
It’s tough to project where Crosby’s game will be in two seasons, Crosby will be 38 years old by the time his next contract begins, however, NHL.com is projecting that Crosby will increase his point totals next season. Sid the Kid had 33 goals and 60 assists last season in 82 games and it’s hard to imagine him topping that at 36-years-old. But that is exactly what NHL.com is projecting he will do as they are predicting he will put up 102 points next season.
Whether or not Crosby hits that number is likely inconsequential when it comes to contract talks with the face of the Penguins franchise. Crosby has remained loyal to Pittsburgh and the Fenway Sports Group has remained steadfast in their desire to have Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang retire as Pittsburgh Penguins as evidenced by the long-term deals they gave Malkin and Letang.
Josh Yohe of The Athletic has said in the past that he believes Crosby wants to play until he’s around 40, which could make a two-year extension make sense. Under normal circumstances, a rising cap would lead a superstar like Crosby to ask for north of $10MM annually on an extension. However, given the past two extensions Sid has signed with Pittsburgh, Kingerski throws out an interesting number, $8.7MM per year.
4 x 8.7 million
Highly doubt he retires before Letang.
He’ll play long enough to pass Jagr to finish second all time in points behind Gretzky.
He’s still 419 points back of Jagr and on the back 9 (likely closer to the finishing 2 holes let alone back 9) of his career. I have a hard time believing he will catch Jagr. It’s not impossible, but unlikely. His numbers likely start slowing any day now. Even if he plays 72 games a season for the next 5 years he would still need to score at a 1.16PPG average. That’s a lot to ask for a guy that late in his career (his career average is 1.26PPG by comparison), and giving him 72 games a season (he has averaged 66 over his career) is asking quite a bit with his injury history.
Once again, not impossible, but not likely as well. Maybe catches Ronnie Franchise for 5th, but anything more is asking a lot.
Ask a lot of Sidney Crosby and he delivers.
He played much of his career in a lower scoring era. And his games played numbers are skewed by the misdiagnosed neck injury (AKA concussion).
93 points last year and playing as well as ever.
Beyond that, more than any other great (including 99 or 66 even) Crosby lives, breathes, eats, sleeps and drinks hockey. I think he plays for a while longer. Maybe into Tom Brady territory, sans the “avocado ice cream”.
Catching Jagr is indeed a tall order. I think he does it.
If he averages 70pts per season over the next 6 seasons that amounts to 420. Enough to just pass Jagr. I think he can get 90 the next 2 seasons. Which means 70,70,50,50 on that 4yr extension would get it done. I think he can do it.
Calm down
Crosby gave them hometown discounts because of his relationship with Lemiuex. With Mario out of the picture I’m sure Sid will ask for his worth based on performance.
Mario is still a 25% owner.
IIRC, it’s closer to 1% ownership for Mario at this point
It’s going to be 8.7 a year prob on a year by year deal for how long he wants to play there is no need for a “projection on his contract”
Agreed fleewolfe. He likely goes year to year until he feels he is no longer producing enough to be of close to that value to the Pens. Maybe a 2 year at the end of this contract, then year to year until he decides it’s time to hang them up. But I see him hanging on to the 8.7 hit as long as he can. Maybe he cuts them a deal after one or 2 years of it being an overpay to make up for the years he was underpaid, but could just stay at 8.7 until he feels he isn’t pulling that weight anymore.
I could easily see a 2 year deal but pens fans all know his birthday is 8/7/87 he’s always taken 8.7 and wears 87 as hard as a worker as he is he superstitious with that and as for the franchise there will never not be a reason to pay him that so it will always be on his terms just like Lemieux he’s a legend around here and deservedly so
If he ever takes a discount which I don’t think will ever happen it would be for 870,000 just so he can really bolster the team for another run cause he just loves winning that much
I could easily see that too. Keep the 8-7 tradition going.
It’s never a bad thing to walk away on top and leave money on the table, It also shows class and It’s not embarrassingly desperate like Jonathan Quick for example, Some guys just can’t let go and it escalates from awkward to sad quickly.
Maybe the Rangers shouldn’t have offered him a contract ♂️
What are you talking about Wilf, the guy just won his 3rd cup. He has a pretty good chance to win another mentoring the best goaltender in the league. Just my opinion, but I think he’s doing just fine.
Did he even play a game for vgk?
@DevilShark, yes, yes he did. He started 9 games and played in 10 games for them. It’s actually pretty easy to use the Google machine from here to find that sort of stuff out. I recommend trying it.
You are right – I did the google machine. It confirmed he never played for them on their cup run (you know, the part where they earn the cup). He came in on a late season trade, got some games due to injuries and didn’t even make the roster in the finals despite injuries. The definition of being carried to his third cup. So HockeySenceNot using that as justification of him not being washed up is just ridiculous – he didn’t even suit up on the cup run.
It’s called mentoring… the reason why the Rangers signed him as their backup, is so he can pass his wisdom on to the goaltender that will actually play the games. It’s a player/coaching type of scenario that actually works quite well. Hill was quoted as saying that he owed a lot to Quick for being there, because he HAS been there a couple times. This is actually considered quite invaluable for cup runs is it not? That veteran voice that helps you get over the top?
Plus he received yet another cup for his Hall Of Fame career (now pretty much solidified). Why shouldn’t he give himself the best chance to win yet another cup and have the chance to help the best goaltender in the world to that exact goal.
The season overall will dictate of course, but I believe that this could work quite well.
You make it sound like he signed with Tampa. NYR is going nowhere. No depth, too top heavy. Even with shesterkin beast mode they lost in the first round. It’ll happen again.
Over paid, over hyped, over the hill.
Literally the worst scouting report on anything ever.
@Buffalobob88
Sid is a true leader and he wants to win, pretty sure he will not get a full value deal to leave room for his team to sign other players. He is one of a kind
He’ll get the Jeter treatment, he’ll stick around until he either gets concussed out of hockey or passes Jagr, and would probably take $870K the last year or two as a second or third line player to get one more drink from the cup now that they got EK as the $8M can go a long way to add another star.
He should retire and enjoy life
Do people really not know why he sign/ for 8.7million?? And why he wears 87?? He was born on august 7th… aka 8/7
Sorry for typo.. *signs for*
I’m going with either one more 2 year extension with an AAV of $8.7 million, or he already goes the discount route and signs a 2 year extension with an AAV of $4.35 million (totaling $8.7 million over the two years).
After those two years I think it will be a year by year deal until he wants to hang them up (probably for 870k per season).