Kyle Dubas gets honest about Sidney Crosby's future

For the very first time in his Hall of Fame NHL career, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby missed out on participating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Despite a late season push, the Penguins fell just short of clinching the final Wild Card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, a position that ultimately went to the rival Washington Capitals; their stay in the postseason was short, as they were swept by the New York Rangers. 

It's no secret that Crosby along with fellow Pittsburgh franchise cornerstones Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are all on the opposite end of 35 years of age, and aren't getting any younger. There's also the reality that Crosby has one year left on his 12 year, $104.4 million deal (that carries an AAV of $8.7 million, an obvious nod to his sweater number) and can become a free agent in the summer of 2025. 

For Crosby, who is also eligible to sign an extension this July, the intention by Penguins management led by GM Kyle Dubas is to keep negotiations as "quiet as possible". 

“The key for us is, because of the importance of it and how much Sid means to the organization and the city, we want to keep that as quiet as possible and go through it,” Dubas explained during his attendance at the 2024 NHL Scouting Combine over the weekend. “And then hopefully as we get through this summer, get a sense where everybody’s at and then let everybody know at the right time.”

Despite his age, Crosby is showing no signs of slowing down after having scored 42 goals with 52 assists while playing in all 82 regular season games in 2023-24. Just what are the realistic expectations as he continues his career, and how much longer can he play at this level? 

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