If you’ve been following the Pittsburgh Penguins’ offseason, the biggest story has not been their free agent signings, their general trajectory, or even the surprising trade for former Winnipeg Jets’ top prospect Rutger McGroarty.
Nope. That honor belongs to the Sidney Crosby extension that has not yet been signed.
Although it’s widely believed – and reported – that Crosby plans to sign in Pittsburgh, there have been questions surrounding how long it’s taking to get finalized, and there have also been some whispers about the other two legs of the Penguins’ “Big Three,” Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.
Each of the Big Three have varying lengths of time remaining on their current deals, and each of them may have different paths going forward.
So who will finish their career in Pittsburgh, and will any of them go anywhere else?
Sidney Crosby
As mentioned previously – and in several pieces preceding this one – it is a general consensus that Crosby will sign an extension to remain in Pittsburgh, presumably, through the end of his career. It has also been reported by Rob Rossi of The Athletic that Crosby has told close friends and family that he will sign, but that the holdout has been figuring out how much longer he wants to play.
Penguins’ GM and POHO Kyle Dubas has also said that he’s comfortable with where things stand with Crosby and discussed their approach to the Penguins’ situation:
Crosby – by all accounts – isn’t going anywhere. For a player as great as he is and who has played his entire career with one franchise, it’s understandable that he may need time and space to get a better grip on when he wants to retire. It’s a huge decision for Crosby, and it’s something he’s almost certainly not taking lightly.
So unless things suddenly go very, very south and he completely pivots from everything that’s been said and reported, it’s highly unlikely that he ends up playing anywhere else but Pittsburgh.
Evgeni Malkin
If there is one member of the Big Three that is pretty much guaranteed to play out the rest of his career in Pittsburgh, it’s Malkin.
There was a rumor earlier this summer that Malkin, who has two years remaining on the four-year, $24.4 million extension he signed in the summer of 2022, would play out the 2024-25 season in Pittsburgh, then retire one year early to play in Russia.
But just as quickly as the rumor started circulating, Malkin shot it down, saying the notion that he would retire a year early is “not true”:
Even just from a logical standpoint, Malkin dipping out on his contract a year early doesn’t seem to make much sense, barring health. He fought for more term than what he got when he signed for four years, and for him to say “never mind” after the trials of that negotiation process would seem like a stretch.
Anything can happen, obviously, but it’s safe to say Malkin will be in Pittsburgh for at least the last two years on his deal.
Kris Letang
To be clear, it’s more likely than not that every member of the Penguins’ Big Three will finish, at least, their current contracts in Pittsburgh. However, both logistically and as rumor has it, there is a possbility that one of them may not.
If there’s one player who might see his career end in a different sweater, it’s Letang.
In mid-August, Pittsburgh-based radio host and writer Mark Madden reported that Letang had requested a trade to his hometown Montreal Canadiens, but that nothing had come of it. Although any rumor should be taken with a grain of salt – especially without multiple credible sources to back it up – it is a bit interesting, at this point, that nothing has come out to shut it down, either.
Letang is in the third year of a six-year, $36.6 million contract extension that he, like Malkin, signed in the summer of 2022. With four years left to play out on the contract – logistically – it could stand to reason that Dubas may be interested, at some point, in moving out that contract, especially if the Penguins do not appear to be nearing playoff contention.
Of the three situations, this is really the only one that kind of makes sense for the Penguins. Because Letang is such a crucial part of their top-four on defense, it would probably be in the team’s best interest to wait this out and see if they push for the playoffs this season.
If they don’t, this could be an evolving situation to watch for Penguins’ fans.
Related: Five Penguins’ Storylines to Keep an Eye on in 2024-25
Related: Opinion: Sidney Crosby’s Future is Presumably Clear – But That’s Not For Us to Decide
Related: Three Penguins Most Likely to Be Traded Before Opening Night
