Cranberry, PA – Like evgeni malkin Sitting in an empty locker room at the Penguins practice facility, being interviewed for a story about his longtime teammate Sidney CrosbyThe 39-year-old Russian center makes a point to emphasize that.
“Do you see security here?” Malkin says, standing quietly in the doorway, pointing to the description of the penguin. “It’s like, not my safety. It’s Sidney Crosby’s safety.”
Malkin’s resume certainly warrants the celebrity treatment: a Calder Trophy, a Hart Trophy, two scoring titles and, of course, three Stanley Cups in a nine-year span that brought the Penguins back to glory.
But no one on the Penguins – or perhaps the entire hockey world – could match Crosby’s star power. The captain’s reputation, not to mention his list of achievements on the ice, is ancient. “You never heard a single bad thing about Sidney Crosby,” said chris letangThe second member of the Big Three of Pittsburgh. “He’s perfect. He’s the perfect ambassador for the game.”
That’s why, ahead of Crosby’s 21st season in the NHL, there has been a lot of discussion about what his future might hold — and whether one of hockey’s most outstanding talents is wasting his final chapter by holding on to what he had in Pittsburgh.
Not only is Crosby’s production absurd (1,687 points in 1,352 career games and counting) but few players in the history of hockey have remained so consistent and so competitive even as they enter the final stages of their careers. Playing his good two-way game, Crosby scored 91 points (33 goals, 58 assists) in 80 games last season, leading the Penguins by 21 points. In an NHLPA poll released in April, Crosby was voted by his peers as the “Most Complete Player” in the game for the sixth consecutive season.
edmonton oilers star connor mcdavid – at 28, a decade younger than Crosby – is in the prime of his career. But he still avoids Crosby. McDavid advocated for Crosby to be named captain of Team Canada during the 4-Nation face-off last February, calling it a “no-brainer.”
“He hasn’t changed at all,” McDavid said last fall. “He’s been great year after year. It’s very impressive to see a guy I grew up admiring still doing this.”
Crosby is once again able to play meaningful games on the international stage, which should include the long-awaited return of NHL players to the Olympics this February, where he will likely captain Team Canada again.
However, the Penguins’ prognosis is not as bright. Pittsburgh’s 16-year Stanley Cup playoff streak ended in 2023, and the Penguins have not returned since. GM Kyle Dubas has begun a rebuild, retooling a prospect pool that was essentially barren, trading away a lot of draft picks and young players in pursuit of a championship. Pittsburgh’s opening night roster will feature five rookies, led by first-time head coach Dan Muse, just five years Crosby’s senior. They’re loading up for the future.
“We’re in a transition period, and our goal is, and hopefully, we’ll get to the point where we’re not only contenders again, but competing on a consistent basis,” Muse said. “It’s not just about getting back to the playoffs; it’s about becoming a true contender, and then staying there. And I think that’s been extremely clear to me since day one. And that message has been consistent from day one until now.”
No one knows how long that plan will take – including the penguins. This is decided by many factors including development.
Crosby’s performance in the 4 Nations, meanwhile (he tied McDavid for the team lead with five points in four games, and Canada won the tournament) indicated how exciting he is still to watch on hockey’s most competitive stages.
Some people around the 38-year-old Crosby have tried to advocate that stalling for an endless rebuild is a disservice to hockey. This includes Crosby’s longtime agent, Pat Brisson, who have said publicly It is his personal belief that Crosby needs to play playoff hockey.
For his part, Crosby maintains tunnel vision. To most people this might seem like pretentiousness, but not to Crosby, whose determination is driven by an obsession with details and routine. He said he has the same mentality every season — an approach that prepares him to play in June. He says that he has not seriously considered any business yet.
“I know that if all my energy is not directed in the direction it needs to be, I’m not giving myself the best chance to succeed,” Crosby said. “If it ever came to that point, I would discuss it, but I don’t feel like I’m there.”
The two-year extension Crosby signed this season kicks in through summer 2024. It’s extremely team-friendly: $8.7 million average annual value, probably half what he’d get on the open market. It’s also a highly tradable contract – and all the cards belong to Crosby, who has an absolutely no-movement clause. League sources believe the Penguins will never approach Crosby about waiving it out of respect. A business Crosby must operate. He will choose the time, and he will choose the destination. The Penguins will need to be compensated they feel is fair. And it will all probably end quietly.
Or this cannot happen. Crosby’s future is completely in his hands. He wants to win again as badly as anyone – but in Pittsburgh. To this point in his career, he has demonstrated incredible loyalty to Pittsburgh as well as his teammates. This is especially true with Malkin and Letang; They are the longest-tenured trio of teammates in major North American sports history.
“He’s a very special person to me, because he’s probably my best friend in Pittsburgh,” Malkin said. “The first guy I met when I moved to Pittsburgh, I went to dinner with was Mario [Lemieux] And Sid. And after that, we are always together. I mean, he’s been messaging me all summer, you know? During the season he messages me, we try to support each other. It’s not always right, you know? Sometimes, like, we need to understand each other. Some people have problems with sports, family etc., do you know? Like — and he asks me, like — all the time, like, ‘If you need anything, come to my house.'”
Malkin is entering the final year of his contract and trade speculation surrounding his name is sure to be intense. As the Penguins opened camp, Malkin said he hoped this would not be his last season in Pittsburgh, but acknowledged it would depend on how he and the team play. Last season, Malkin scored 16 goals and 50 points in 68 games. Letang is signed until 2028.
Another name to watch this season brian rustCrosby’s a winger on the top line. Rust is signed through the next three seasons. The 33-year-old is happy in Pittsburgh and wants to stay here. However, it does not have trade protection. If the Penguins get a good enough offer — a package that could accelerate the rebuild — the rust could be shaken off just like that. Jake Guentzel Two years ago.
For Crosby, it’s not just the friendships on the ice that connect him to Pittsburgh: It’s the relationships with the community.
“We visit the children’s hospital once a year with the whole team. There are a lot of cameras there,” Letang said. “But he’s also going to see patients at a different hospital and it’s completely off the radar. And, you know, I was a witness because he asked me to come with him for a year and see what he was doing.”
Youth hockey in Pittsburgh has exploded since Crosby’s arrival. The Little Penguins Learn to Play program Crosby launched in 2008 has introduced thousands of children to the game. Crosby and City are in a long-term relationship that has really benefited both of them.
“I still remember my first day there, getting to the airport, coming down the escalator, and it was just packed,” Crosby said. “Having that kind of welcome, and then, from getting to the rink to being with Mario, a lot of amazing first impressions, but a lot of great memories since then. It’s been a long time since I’ve been there, and I couldn’t be more grateful that everything worked out that way and I got drafted there.”
People close to Crosby say he strongly believes in the difference in wearing just one jersey. When? Los Angeles Kings captain Ange Kopitar Announcing his retirement after this season, he said it was a matter of pride for him to play his entire career in one city.
However, there is a counterargument: Tom Brady. His reputation in New England still stands as an all-time franchise legend. But after 20 years, he signed with the Buccaneers and was able to finish his career with another championship there too.
So, this begs the question: What motivates Crosby at this point?
“As you play, if you still have the passion, I think you find different things that motivate you,” Crosby said. “This year is obviously an Olympic year, so you know, that’s a big motivation. But as far as in general, I think the motivation is just to be my best. You know, whatever it is, you know, regardless of age and expectations, all that stuff. I always try to be my best, and that’s enough for me.”
Malkin took it a step further.
“I think mentally he wants to show every year that he can play 100%,” Malkin said. “And the mentality, like, maybe another Cup, you know? We want to win together again. Because the last Cup was, like, 10 years ago.”
In fact, it’s only been eight years since the Penguins last won. But for the all-time great, it can feel like forever.
