Sidney Crosby and Penguins in no rush over contract extension as 22nd season gets underway

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said Monday that the team and captain Sidney Crosby are calm ahead of the start of the regular season, even without a new contract in place.

Crosby, 39, is entering the final year of a two-year deal worth $17.4 million, signed on September 16, 2024, while talks with his agent, Pat Brisson, will continue. Dubas noted that the dialogue is open and that they feel no pressure to resolve the matter by a set deadline.

As nhl.com reports, Crosby is preparing for his 22nd season in the League and said a new contract does not necessarily have to be signed before the opener against the Philadelphia Flyers. He said he wants to focus on the game, while management will take over the talks.

Last season Crosby led the Penguins with 74 points (29 goals, 45 assists) in 68 games, extending his record of seasons averaging at least a point per game to 21 in his career, and helping the team qualify for the playoffs after three years away.

Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson are in similar contractual situations. Malkin, 40, signed a one-year deal worth $5.5 million on May 26, 2026 to avoid free-agent status; he recorded 61 points (19 goals, 42 assists) in 56 games and has said he is not prepared to declare retirement. Dubas declined to publicly comment on any intention to re-negotiate a short-term deal with Malkin.

Karlsson, in the final year of an eight-year, $92 million contract he signed on June 17, 2019, joined Pittsburgh in a three-team trade on August 6, 2023; the 36-year-old had 66 points (15 goals, 51 assists) in 75 games last season and said the extension issue has not been discussed.

According to nhl.com, Dubas stressed that the club is trying to move away from the League average by developing young talent and being less dependent on aging veterans, and that this direction may require difficult decisions in the future to become a contending team.