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Sidney Crosby breaks silence on much-anticipated Pittsburgh Penguins extension
Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby opened up about the possibility of a contract extension.
The Daily Faceoff reported Crosby’s comments on the matter during his participation on the NHL’s North American Player Media Tour in Las Vegas.
Crosby said about contract extension talks:
“I’m pretty optimistic it’s going to get done (before the season). I don’t know what day specifically, but it’s been really positive. It hasn’t been a difficult process at all.”
The comments underscore Sidney Crosby’s attempts to reassure Penguins’ fans that he’s staying put in Steeltown.
Most importantly, Crosby’s remarks point toward a general timeline, that is, before the season begins. If that’s the case, getting a deal done before the start of the season would remove a potential distraction from the Pittsburgh locker room.
As the Daily Faceoff pointed out, Crosby plans to be a part of the Penguins’ future for the medium term. That statement points toward Crosby potentially signing a four or five-year deal rather than the maximum eight-year deal allowed by the current CBA.
It’s worth pointing out that Sidney Crosby signed a 12-year contract under the previous CBA’s rules. Those rules were amended, putting an eight-year cap on players re-signing contract extensions.
In the meantime, Penguins fans can breathe a small sigh of relief, knowing that Crosby has no intention of leaving Pittsburgh any time soon.
Sidney Crosby and the Penguins looking to get back into playoff conversation
The last couple of seasons have been tough on Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. They’ve missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, raising questions about the team’s competitiveness.
Crosby addressed the situation:
“Obviously we were pretty close the last couple of years, a point or two, two years in a row, which stings.”
As the Daily Faceoff quoted Crosby, missing the playoffs stings for Crosby and Penguins' fans. However, there's a sense of optimism heading into next season.
“Personally, the way I look at it is, if we can find some way to get over that hump and get into the playoffs where we haven’t, trying to use some of the momentum that we finished with last year would be great.”
Crosby added:
“We finished really strong. I think we all felt pretty good about hanging in there the way that we did.”
The Pens hope that momentum carries over into this season. Pittsburgh will be vying for a playoff spot with the New York Islanders and the Washington Capitals.
Additionally, the New Jersey Devils will look to bounce back, making the Metro Division that much more difficuly to compete in. The great news is that Crosby is excited to hit the ice. He said:
“I’m as excited about going to training camp as I was my first year. So the passion and that sort of thing are all there.”
Based on those comments, Penguins fans have plenty to look forward to this upcoming season.
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