Crosby had 'reassuring' talks with Dubas before signing extension

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said he had some promising conversations with general manager Kyle Dubas about the direction of his longtime club before he put pen to paper on a new extension.

"I think that was reassuring," he told reporters Monday. "Just based on what we discussed as far as there's still hunger from the organization and ownership to win and a commitment there. ... I feel like as players, for all the different guys that have played here over the course of the time that I've been here, it's something that you build as a culture, something that I think (is) ingrained.

"Missing the playoffs for a couple of years, not being in it, is difficult. You want to try to find every way possible to get back in there and make sure that we compete for the Stanley Cup. So, I think that was reassuring to hear, and that helped."

Crosby could've become an unrestricted free agent next summer. However, he signed a two-year, $17.4-million extension Monday.

Pittsburgh hasn't qualified for the postseason in back-to-back years, missing out on a wild-card spot by one point in 2022-23 and three points in 2023-24.

Dubas didn't make a large splash this offseason, as his biggest move was swapping out forward prospect Brayden Yager for Rutger McGroarty. The Penguins also still project to be one of the league's oldest teams. Yet Crosby is looking forward to a particularly zealous training camp.

"You look at this year, it's really unique because there's a ton of competition for jobs. ... This year is probably the most competitive ... that I've seen," he said. "Hopefully that's something that pushes us as a group, but I think it's a good thing to have that right from the start."

Crosby will be 39 years old when his new deal expires, but the franchise icon said he hasn't thought much about his career beyond that.

"Mentally, I feel good, I still love the game and want to compete," he said. "I'm not gonna project too far ahead, but I'm gonna try to play as long as I can."

The Penguins have won three Stanley Cup championships (2009, 2016, 2017) under the direction of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Of the trio, Malkin's contract expires first upon the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign.

"It's probably difficult to put that amount of time into a sound bite," Crosby said when asked about his love for Pittsburgh. "Obviously the support, the people, the fans, the organization, just everything over the years. It's been really special, and we've had some incredible experiences and memories. I just want to continue that."