Crosby no doubt is a valued and loved player not just among fans but among his teammates as well. Sidney Crosby with the Cup by daveynin is licensed under CC BY 2.0 DEED.

With Sidney Crosby signing a two-year extension, the Pittsburgh Penguins are presented with a table of opportunities.

Crosby no doubt is a valued and loved player not just among fans but among his teammates as well. Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, especially, have expressed their relief over Crosby’s extension, as the three of them have virtually played their entire careers together. 

In a way, this signing has been a morale booster for the team, and it could serve as a source of motivation to put more effort into making the Penguins a playoff-ready team again.

The extension’s average annual value of $8.7 million is not just a result of Crosby’s longtime superstition with the number 87. It was a deliberate move by him to leave money on the table for the Penguins organization. 

By this point in his career, money is not a problem for Crosby. His focus is on helping the team win again. Cap space is very important for a team that is trying to retool. And with the money saved by the relatively low total for Crosby’s extension, Penguins’ GM Kyle Dubas now has the room to build around Crosby and the core. 

The Penguins have a lot of young prospects, and this could be a great opportunity to bring in more young blood onto the team.

Fans also expressed their happiness and relief about the signing of the extension. It was more than disappointing to see how the last two seasons have gone, and before Crosby’s extension, the upcoming season was to be the last one on his existing contract.

For the time that Crosby has been here, Penguins fans have done a good job at realizing how special of a player he is, but many still have taken him for granted. With these next three seasons potentially being his last, fans should cherish the time they have with Crosby more than ever before.