Report shares when Sidney Crosby informed Penguins he'd sign contract extension

It happened later in the summer than many expected , but the Pittsburgh Penguins finally confirmed on Monday that superstar captain Sidney Crosby has agreed to a two-year contract extension that will keep him attached to the club through at least the 2026-27 NHL season.

According to Rob Rossi of The Athletic, there wasn't much doubt among the parties that a deal would be reached before the upcoming campaign got underway .

"Crosby informed the Penguins of his intention to re-sign not long after the (2023-24) season," Rossi explained, "clearing the way for (Penguins president/general manager Kyle Dubas) to plan for the offseason knowing the deal would eventually get done. After making early progress in June, Dubas and Pat Brisson, Crosby’s agent, resumed talks in earnest last week — and the deal was finalized Sunday night."

Crosby was on track to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 of next year and first became the subject of some trade rumors this past winter before the Penguins missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season. Eyebrows were then raised when his 37th birthday came and went last month without him putting pen to paper on an extension , and some suggested he could agree to join a contender as a rental if Pittsburgh endured a rough opening half of the 2024-25 season.

However, Crosby then shared last week he was "pretty optimistic" he would soon sign an extension with the Penguins that could allow him to keep playing for the club past his 40th birthday. His deal ensures he will continue to carry a salary-cap hit of $8.7M per season, which has been the case since the 2008-09 campaign.

"Sidney and I had many discussions over the summer about the possible extension," Brisson said, per Rossi. "He wanted to reflect on everything prior to making a final decision on terms and (average annual value). He is extremely excited to continue helping the franchise win another championship."

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook continued to have the Penguins at +120 betting odds to make the playoffs for this season. Despite such forecasts, Crosby elected to stay a one-club man and remain with center Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang after they became the longest-tenured trio of teammates in North American professional sports history last October.