Crosby Signs Extension

The Pens announced today they signed Sidney Crosby to an extension for 5 years, $43.5 million, which comes out to $8.7 per year. Honestly, the deal is a little more than I expected as with all the talk it sounded it would be in the range of $7.5-$8.0. However, in a few years, not to mention seeing guys like Scott Gomez making over $7 million a year, this could be a steal. It comes in at $1.46 million below the league maximum of $10.06 million per year. But if the cap keeps going up so will the max salary, and if it would go to say, $12 million max, $8.7 for Crosby will be looking pretty good. (You have to wonder if they purposefully wanted $8.7, if so I think Crosby is getting a bit obsessed with that number).

Some people were expecting a DiPietro deal like length, but that is foolish. Crosby will be much more valuable than DiPietro will be and by the time the deal is done will most likely command more.

I think Dave Molinari of the Post Gazette said it best when Shero basically had to hand Crosby and his agent a blank contract, let them fill in the numbers and sign off on it. Crosby is too important to lose and Shero had almost no bargaining power.

Regardless, it is a fair deal for both teams, as if Crosby became even an RFA some team would have thrown the cap max at him for multiple years.

It’s kind of funny, two years ago we thought $6.6 million a year for Vinny Lecavalier was steep, now it’s looking like a steal.

-Jordan