Sidney Crosby signs cheap, short-term deal in order to give the Penguins salary cap flexibility

Earlier today the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they've signed superstar captain Sidney Crosby to a two year contract extension worth $8.7 million per season. That means that Sid 'The Kid' will be in Pittsburgh until at least summer of 2027 thanks to this new deal.

And, of course, are we really surprised that the deal comes in at $8.7 million per season? After all, Crosby is notoriously superstitious and every contract he has signed in his NHL career has an '87' in it somewhere. Crosby has sported #87 on his back since his was just a child, in honor of his birthday of 08/07/'87.

The thing is... Sid's propensity for 87 has cost him a fair bit of coin throughout his career. In fact, according to NHL contract analyst Dom Luszczyszyn, Crosby has cost himself $43 million in salary over the course of his career due to his willingness to take less than his worth.

From Luszczyszyn:

Are we really surprised?

Crosby is arguably the greatest leader in NHL history and he has always put team success as his top priority. This isn't a guy who is looking to squeeze every last penny out of every negotiation. He simply wants to get paid fairly and to enable the team to surround him with quality players. If it means taking less so that the team can spread around the money more evenly, then Crosby is all for it. 

Contrast Crosby's career with other players who have prioritized earnings and it's clear to see who comes out ahead. Sure, Crosby could be $43 million richer but he also has three Stanley Cup championships on his resume. Up until the past few seasons, the Penguins have always been in Stanley Cup contention because of the salary cap flexibility that Crosby's contract has provided. Had he taken every dollar available to him, I don't think the Penguins would have had quite the level of success that they've had in the past 20 years. 

Once this deal is over Crosby will go down as one of the best players in NHL history. That's worth more than money could ever buy.