HENDERSON, NEV. — It wasn’t fun, but Sidney Crosby did it anyway.
He watched the Stanley Cup playoffs this past spring. More games than usual.
“I want to see what separates teams that make it and teams that don’t,” Crosby told Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas during a sitdown with the 32 Thoughts: The Podcast Tuesday.
For Crosby, the ultimate competitor, it has been difficult being the face of one of those teams that don’t make it.
For the first time in his 19-season career, the Pittsburgh Penguins failed to qualify for the post-season in back-to-back years. Crosby and the Pens haven’t won a playoff round in six years.
“It’s not really a lot of fun watching the playoffs,” Crosby said. “You want to find a way to get back there.”
All the weighing of and worrying about Crosby’s future revolves around his burning desire for a fourth Stanley Cup — which, to the outsider, could appear like a long shot when the impending free agent signs his next contract.
Which, he says, should be in place well before the current one expires.
Is there a chance Crosby could run out the 2024-25 season without an extension?
“No, no,” Crosby told reporters Monday at the NHL Player Media Tour in Henderson, Nev.
“I’m pretty optimistic it’s going to get done. I don’t know what day specifically. It’s been really positive. Hasn’t been a real difficult process. I’m optimistic that something will get done.”
Price shouldn’t be a huge issue (pay the man what he wants), but term requires consideration for both sides.
“We’ll see what that brings,” Crosby said.
Crosby, 37, previously said he hoped to be teammates with Kris Letang right through the expiry of the defenceman’s contract, which runs through 2027-28. That would mean at least a three-year deal on Crosby’s next one, taking him through his age 40 season.
And while Crosby told 32 Thoughts a couple years ago that it would be difficult to imagine playing into his 40s, he’s warming up to the idea.
A Father Time–defying 42-goal, 94-point showing in 2023-24, in which he finished top-10 in Hart and Selke voting, had something to do with that.
“I don’t want to look too far ahead,” said Crosby, forever taking stock of where he’s at mentally and physically.
“To predict that now is impossible, but I would say I’m more open to getting to that point [of playing at age 40].”
The hard-working veteran maintains he is just as passionate about the game and hyped up for training camp as he ever was. Plus, he’ll get another chance to represent Canada, at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
And, yes, Crosby believes the Penguins — resetting around a veteran core — can still win.
More playing hockey in spring. Less watching it.
“The biggest thing when I think about our team is our culture,” Crosby said.
Theirs is a culture of expectation.
Expectation to return to the dance, and expectation to lock up the face of their franchise.
Maybe right into his 40s.