Sidney Crosby Open To Playing Into His 40s But Will It Be In Pittsburgh?

It's hard to believe, but Sidney Crosby has been in the NHL for almost 20 years, and now the Penguins captain is waiting on a contract extension.

At 37 years old, the three-time Stanley Cup champion needs to decide whether he wants to continue playing into his 40s, and it sounds like he's certainly open to that.

"I don't want to look too far ahead," Crosby told Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas on Sportsnet's 32 Thoughts podcast during an interview at the NHL Player Media Tour in Henderson, Nevada.

"To predict that now is impossible, but I would say I'm more open to getting to that point [of playing at age 40]."

Crosby is in the last year of his current deal — which is somewhat famously worth $8.7 million per year (get it?) — and that means he and the Pittsburgh Penguins will have to cut a new deal by next July, however, Crosby himself expects it to be done before the end of this season.

It's hard to picture Sidney Crosby in another uniform but given the state of the Penguins, could it be best for all parties to move on? (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Is Staying With Penguins A Good Move For Both Sidney Crosby And Pittsburgh?

This is an interesting position for both parties. Crosby knows that he's closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Meanwhile, the Penguins were the team with the oldest average age last season, and have missed the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time in the Crosby era. Furthermore, they haven't won a series in the last six years.

So, this means that while surely both sides would like to get a deal done, it may not be in either team's best interest.

Things haven't been great in Pittsburgh (although they played well down the stretch and nearly snuck into the playoffs) so while a full rebuild may not be necessary, GM Kyle Dubas may want to think long term and load up on some younger players and draft picks.

But if that's the case, it could be years before the Penguins are back in a Stanley Cup-winning window. Would Crosby want to wait that long, or would he want to jump to a team that is in a position to win now *cough* Colorado Avalanche with his buddy Nathan MacKinnon *cough*.

If the two sides can't cut a deal, then surely the Pens would try to make a trade, but if and when Crosby hits the free agent market, expect every team to take a look at him, especially if his fixation on the number 87 continues, because being able to sign Sidney Crosby for $8.7 million a year with the salary cap going up each year is an absolute steal. That's probably the best bargain in all sports.

Hopefully, we'll know more about Crosby's future in the months to come, but it will sure be interesting to keep an eye on.