Sidney Crosby in ‘wait and see’ mode for plans beyond 2026-27

TL;DR

Sidney Crosby is under contract for the 2026-27 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins but has not decided on his future beyond that. He stated he will 'just wait and see' regarding his plans after turning 40.

Key points

Crosby is under contract for the 2026-27 season.
He will turn 40 shortly after this contract ends.
Crosby is not in a hurry to decide on his future.
He feels good despite recent leg injuries.
He can sign an extension for 2027-28 starting July 1.

Sidney CrosbyPittsburgh PenguinsWashington CapitalsAlexander Ovechkin

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 12: Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) during a game against the Washington Capitals on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The game drew extra attention from fans, because it could be Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin's final NHL game in Washington. (Photo by Peter W. Stevenson/The Washington Post via Getty Images) Sidney Crosby is under contract next season in 2026-27 to play for the Penguins. What comes after that will have to be determined at a later date. “Just wait and see,” Crosby said on Friday about his future status during exit interviews. “I haven’t thought that far ahead, but we’ll just wait and see.” That matches his approach from recently, Crosby waited two and a half months in the summer of 2024 to sign a two-year contract extension with the Penguins that covered 2025-26 and 2026-27. He will be turning 40 years old shortly after this deal ends. Whether or not we see a 40+ year old Crosby playing in the NHL in 2027-28 is a bridge that the forward hasn’t come close to crossing yet this soon after a season comes to an end. Crosby finished his 21st season in Pittsburgh, 22 is coming up next year. Year 23 isn’t assured, though it isn’t ruled out at this point either. Crosby would be eligible to officially sign another extension for 2027-28 starting in just a couple of months on July 1st of this year. It doesn’t sound like the long-time Pittsburgh captain is in any hurry to make that decision one year ahead of time. One positive for this off-season is there won’t be any rumors or wishful thinking out of Canada to stir up trade rumors, being as the Penguins made the playoffs and at least held out enough promise to making coming back to Pittsburgh a foregone conclusion in 2026-27 to potentially finish out his illustrious career wearing the only NHL jersey he’s ever known. Despite suffering two injuries to each leg since February, Crosby proclaimed himself to be in good shape and dismissed questions about the possibility of undergoing surgery this summer. “I’m going to have discussions [Friday] and talk to doctors and things like that,” Crosby said. “I feel pretty good.” At this point, he likely doesn’t have a firm answer about long long he will continue playing in the NHL. For anything beyond next season, we’ll likely have a long time to “wait” before we “see”.

Q&A

What did Sidney Crosby say about his future in the NHL beyond 2026-27?

Sidney Crosby mentioned he is in 'wait and see' mode regarding his future after the 2026-27 season and hasn't thought that far ahead.

When can Sidney Crosby officially sign an extension for the 2027-28 season?

Crosby can officially sign another contract extension for the 2027-28 season starting on July 1 of this year.

How has Sidney Crosby's health been after his injuries this season?

Despite suffering injuries to both legs since February, Crosby stated he feels 'pretty good' and dismissed the need for surgery this summer.