Sidney Crosby stuns fans when changing previous stance he was adamant about!

It was made official on Monday: captain Sidney Crosby is grossly underpaid by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He signed a two-year extension with the Penguins for his usual $8.7M US per season, extending him through the 2026-27 season. It’s a well-known fact that the captain accepted a huge pay cut in an effort to help the Pens win “both now and in the future.”

Coming off a 42-goal, 94-point campaign that saw him finish tied for 12th in the league scoring race, Crosby has proven to have a whole lot more in the tank, which could be why he recently changed one previous stance when he spoke with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. While his extension ends when he’s 39, Crosby acknowledged the possibility of playing longer than he expected. The insider reported it in his latest 32 Thoughts written column:

He changed one previous stance, that he wouldn’t play at 40 (this extension ends when he’s 39). There’s still no guarantee, but after a 94-point season that still cemented him as one of the NHL’s best, he acknowledged the possibility.

“I would say I’m probably a little more open than I was before to get to that point if I feel good…You’re basically trying to predict where you’re going to be in a few years. I’d love to sign an eight-year deal, don’t get me wrong, but with my age and not knowing how long I’m going to play for, we’ll see. We’ll see what that term is. But it wouldn’t be something on the longer side.”

On opening day of training camp, Crosby added this when his teammate Kris Letang spoke about him playing until he's 50. 

"Yeah right. He says that, but for sure he wants to play the longest. He’s made that clear many times. I’m not quite as vocal about it. But we’ll see how it works."

Crosby trails only Mario Lemieux on the franchise’ career chart in goals (592), assists (1,004) and points (1,596). Lemieux (690-1,033-1,723) is the only NHL No. 1 pick who has recorded more points than Crosby.
And the “kid” is still going, and now could go past his 40s.

The Penguins open training camp today and will kick off the regular season Oct. 9 at home against the New York Rangers.

When it comes to making it the postseason, Crosby did not enjoy Friedman’s indication that Pittsburgh could be out once again this upcoming spring.

“I really enjoy the expectation to win. I think that’s something that pushes all of us. For the guys who have been there for a number of years (Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang), that’s something that we’re proud of. We want to go into a season with that expectation, regardless of what moves are made, what the team looks like….There’s going to be different moves, going to be turnover and that’s okay. But we’re coming into the season to try to win, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that and hopefully that gets the best out of us.”

And the best of you, Sid, for as long as possible.