Enjoy the next three years of watching Sidney Crosby play for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Breathe it in. If necessary, be a little more sentimental.
You will never see his kind again in your life.
I’m not talking about the hockey, the backhand, the vision, the strength, the toughness – you know, all of those things that make him one of the greatest hockey players of all time.
No, it’s Crosby the man, a selfless figure in an era when sports are so filled with greed that professional athletes are even further removed from reality.
Oh, sure, Crosby is going to make more money next season than most of us will ever see in our lifetimes. He won’t be living in a studio apartment anytime soon. However, his new deal speaks volumes about Crosby’s relationship with Captain Crosby.
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Penguins extend Crosby to two-year contract
Crosby, who signed a two-year contract that takes effect Monday at the end of the season, once again declined more salary to stay on top of his regular salary cap hit of $8.7 million per season. Although his numerous superstitions are legendary, we learn so much from them. Most importantly, he is not greedy and cares about the fate of this team.
Kyle Dubas has no impact. The Penguins general manager and president of hockey operations is well paid and just as powerful, but he’s no more powerful than Crosby.
You wouldn’t have that in other cities and other teams, but it’s different. In Pittsburgh, hockey stars are more important than the team. Crosby was more than just another star. He is one of the most important hockey players of this century and one of the best. He’s still going strong and is easily earning millions of dollars a year. Dubas would give him anything he wanted. He has no choice.
Crosby never chose Crosby, though. His kindness and selfless character embody a real person. There is nothing hypocritical or insincere about him. This victory is the only thing driving him, and it has been that way since he burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old 20 years ago.
By my estimates, Crosby has earned about $8.7 million in bonuses and $8.7 million per season since the 2008-09 season. https://t.co/JRn4vKFkLO
— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) September 16, 2024
The two-year deal is as noteworthy as the money.
The deal will carry Crosby through his age-39 season, a few months shy of his 40th birthday. Is this the last contract of Crosby’s career? perhaps. Forty is a nice round number, and by that point, he will have spent more than half his life as captain of the Penguins. This will also mark the end of his 22nd NHL season. That’s a lot of hockey, and there doesn’t seem to be much left for him to accomplish.
Two-year terms have some impact. Let’s break it down:
• At the very least, you can watch Crosby for at least three more seasons. This should bring a lot of comfort to those worried about his retirement.
• The Penguins won’t be in a “full rebuild” for at least three years. As Dubas pointed out, they’re unlikely to be a bottom-five team at any point while Crosby is still on the roster because he’s so good. We will see a small rebuild or reload.
• Crosby could have asked for more years. The Penguins are willing to give their captain the years he wants. He chose to oppose it because he didn’t want to be a drag on the team. What if he had signed on to play for another five years, but after those first few years, realized his passion for the game had evaporated? Or his play could decline. This may seem like a foreign concept as he is the most consistent superstar in the history of the sport. He seemed immortal. But I assure you, he is not. He will become human one day. Crosby knows this and doesn’t want to negatively impact the Penguins if this happens anytime soon.
The worst-case scenario is that Crosby plays in a Penguins uniform for three more years, the team fails to make the playoffs, Crosby retires in 2027, and Dubas has plenty of money and young assets to keep him Liberty quickly made the Penguins the victors.
So, in the worst case scenario, you only see Crosby until the end. You can enjoy his farewell tour. In the meantime, you’ll know that the Penguins’ new wave of players are learning from one of the greatest captains in hockey history to become pros.
That’s the beauty of a two-year deal: It’s long enough for him to enjoy it for a few more years, but not so long that it bogs him and the Penguins down.
It would be even better if he’s still performing well at 39 and wants to play longer. No one had to lead Crosby to open the door. By then, the Penguins might be ready to win. Dubas is doing what he’s supposed to do. His deep commitment to developing talented young players is nothing like the occasional call-ups we’ve seen from Wilkes-Barre over the past few seasons.
The best-case scenario is that Crosby remains one of the five or 10 best players in the league and he’s able to maintain that level for a few years just as all these young assets suddenly blossom.
If those two possibilities come together, Crosby’s final stretch with the Penguins could be something special. It’s going to be amazing to watch him finish the last game or two with a group of kids who are carrying the torch to the tournament.
This is almost unimaginable. The deal he signed will make this possible. It saves the team a lot of money to spend on other players and assets. It keeps Crosby in everyone’s lives for a while, but not too long in case retirement time approaches. If he’s still performing well and hungry at 39, he’ll sign another short-term deal. why not?
It’s so practical, selfless and smart. This is Crosby.
He will rightfully receive tremendous love from all Pittsburgh and Penguins fans around the world. It’s deserved.
But with this deal, Crosby immediately reciprocated all the affection.
He is truly one of a kind.
(Photo: Stephen Chambers/Getty Images)
