Sidney Crosby's next contract rumoured to be already agreed upon and Kyle Dubas definitely didn't get a discount

One of the biggest decisions Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Kyle Dubas will have to make over the next year is whether to keep superstar Sidney Crosby, or flip him for what would be a ton of assets in a rebuild type deal. One report states that if the Penguins plan to keep him, no discount will be offered for the only NHL team Crosby has ever played with.

On the latest 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman said Crosby's next deal will be an increase over the $8.7 AAV he's taken for the last several years.

There may be a legitimate excuse for inflation here, but Dubas will be left to work around the salary cap either way. A bigger chunk for Crosby on an annual basis means a smaller one everywhere else. Either way, Friedman also mentioned the deal is rumoured to be done already

Crosby has one season left on his current contract after this one ends. As it stands right now, seeing him in the playoffs this season is very unlikely, unless a trade happened before the deadline. There's been no indication of that happening this year, though. However, 2024-25 is an entirely different story. Another year of missing the playoffs would increase pressure for a rebuild, and to trade their franchise player for what would certainly be a valuable return. Crosby, 36, has never really given a firm answer on when he plans to retire, only saying he'll stop when hockey is no longer fun for him.

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