East Notes: Crosby, Leach, Sabres

Although Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will turn 39 before the start of next season, he isn’t seriously considering ending what has been a legendary career in the NHL. Crosby spoke to The Athletic’s Josh Yohe about his future, and said “I definitely want to keep playing for as many years as possible.” He also added that any previous comments about wanting to take a “year-to-year” approach was more about giving the Penguins as much financial flexibility as possible, rather than an indication that he is weighing hanging up his skates.

That Crosby isn’t giving any serious thought to retirement shouldn’t come as any surprise. First and foremost, Crosby is one of the game’s all-time great competitors. He hasn’t won a playoff series since 2017-18, and it’s likely he’ll want to see the Penguins through their current retool as far as he can. But the more important factor to Crosby’s longevity isn’t his competitive drive, it’s the simple fact that he remains an extremely effective NHL center. Crosby scored 29 goals and 74 points in 68 games in 2025-26. Although the Penguins stumbled in the first round of the playoffs, Crosby is still a star first-line center. Before injuries limited him this past season, Crosby had three consecutive campaigns where he scored more than 90 points. It seems he’s eager to continue leading the Penguins into their increasingly promising future, and for as long as he wants to continue playing, he’ll have a place at the top of the Penguins lineup.

Other notes from around the NHL:

• The Boston Bruins will not retain assistant coach Jay Leach for next season, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Leach, whose contract is set to expire this summer, has been an assistant behind the bench in Boston for the last two years. First-year head coach Marco Sturm inherited Leach from the staff of former bench boss Jim Montgomery. Per Conor Ryan of the Boston Globe, Leach “primarily worked with Boston’s defensemen” during his time with the team. Before he became an assistant in Boston, Leach spent three seasons with the Seattle Kraken on the staff of former head coach Dave Hakstol. Leach had some previous experience in the Bruins organization as well, serving as head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, for four seasons.
• Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen told the media, including Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic, that he informed skaters Bowen Byram and Zach Benson of the organization’s desire to sign them both to long-term contract extensions. Benson, 21, enjoyed a breakout third season in the NHL, scoring 18 goals and 52 points across 78 combined regular-season and playoff contests. The twin pillars of Benson’s game – his dynamic offensive skill and his aggressive, pest-like qualities – have endeared him to Sabres fans and team management alike. Kekäläinen called Benson, who is a pending RFA, a “core piece.” Byram, who turns 25 early next month, isn’t a pending RFA but becomes extension-eligible July 1. His $6.25MM AAV contract walks him directly to unrestricted free agency in a little over a year, but Buffalo is hoping he won’t reach that point. Byram scored 11 goals and 43 points this past season, and added seven points in 13 playoff games.