38-year-old captain starting 2-year contract, Pittsburgh has missed postseason 3 straight years

The 38-year-old center wants to keep playing at a high level and return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Penguins, with extra motivation to again win gold with Canada at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

“I’m worried about playing for Pittsburgh,” Crosby, the Penguins captain, said at the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour on Tuesday. “I haven’t seriously considered anything else.

“I go into the season trying to do my very best to be ready and to make sure that we give ourselves every chance. I don’t think about that. It’s not something that … I know that if all my energy isn’t towards what it needs to be, then I’m not giving myself the best chance for it to be successful.

“If it ever came to that point, I would discuss it, but I don’t feel like I’m there.”

Speculation is swirling.

Crosby has played his entire 20-season NHL career for the Penguins, winning the Stanley Cup in 2009, 2016 and 2017, but they’ve missed the playoffs three years in a row and haven’t won a series since 2018.

The question is whether Crosby would go elsewhere for another chance to win the Cup if he can’t do it in Pittsburgh. He had 91 points (33 goals, 58 assists) in 80 games last season, leading the Penguins by 21 points, and is beginning the two-year, $17.4 million contract ($8.7 million average annual value) he signed Sept. 16, 2024.

Asked how he views this stage of the Penguins development and how he fits into it, he deferred to general manager Kyle Dubas.

“I don’t know,” Crosby said. “I mean, it’s probably a better question for Kyle than for me. I still approach going into the season the same way as I would if we played till June. It doesn’t really change whether you’ve missed the playoffs, or you’ve had a successful year.

“I have the same approach. I try to do my best, to be the best I can, and ultimately every time I go on the ice, I want to try to win. I don’t think that my expectations have changed based on, I guess, the approach or plan. It’s probably more of a Kyle question, but my mindset hasn’t really changed.”

PIT@NJD: Crosby redirects Rust’s feed for PPG and 3-2 lead

Crosby, defenseman Kris Letang and center Evgeni Malkin are the longest-tenured trio in North American sports, entering their 20th season together, but how much longer will that last? Letang, 38, has three seasons left on his contract. Malkin, 39, has one.

Coach Mike Sullivan left Pittsburgh on April 28 after 10 seasons and was hired by the New York Rangers on May 2. The Penguins hired Dan Muse on June 4. They added players on short-term contracts and young players will have opportunities.

Defenseman Erik Karlsson, and forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust, have not been ruled out as trade candidates. Karlsson, 35, has two seasons left on his contract; Rakell, 32, and Rust, 33, three apiece.

“I don’t really have any different expectations going into Game 1,” Crosby said. “I think the challenge is maybe a little bit different. The challenge is, when you win, reinvesting the next year. The challenge is, when you didn’t make the playoffs, getting back. That’s the way I look at it.

“We want to get back there. I think the expectations aren’t that high, so that’s out of our control. Just win. If they’re super high, that’s out of our control. I definitely prefer when they’re ultra-high, but it is what it is, and you can’t control that. …

“Ultimately you’ve still got to go out there and try to win hockey games, so I think that’s going to be our approach.”

What needs to happen for Pittsburgh to contend for a playoff spot?

“I think any team will tell you it’s just consistency,” Crosby said. “I mean, we had stints last year when we won five or six in a row, and then we dropped five or six in a row. So, if we can find a little bit more consistency.

“I think there’s going to be opportunities for some young guys, so if young guys can come in and make an impact right away, that would be great. But at the same time, it’s competition. It’s healthy competition, I think, for jobs. Whoever earns those spots, that’s who’s going to get the opportunity, so I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I think that’s good as far as urgency and things like that.”

Whatever happens in Pittsburgh, Crosby knows he has a chance to win gold like he did in Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014, the last two times the NHL sent players to the Olympics.

“It’s been 10-plus years, but I still remember with those years there’s always a little bit extra motivation,” Crosby said. “It’s always in the back of your mind. It’s always something that’s pushing you, so not any different than another Olympic athlete who’s building towards that through world championships or their normal circuits.

“I think it’s something that is always pushing you. I think that’s a good thing. I’m hoping that that’s something that pushes me to be better and continue to improve and that sort of thing. So, yeah, I think there’s always a little something extra in those years.”