This Superstar Could Pull a “Stamkos” and Land with the New York Islanders

Future Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby could pull a “Stamkos” and sign with the New York Islanders if and when Crosby becomes a free agent next summer.

Crosby is entering the final year of his current deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 37-year-old superstar signed a 12-year deal worth $104.4 million in 2012 (back when those sorts of deals were still legal).

Fast forward to 2024, and Sidney Crosby is an impending UFA. But here’s where things get interesting. Crosby has yet to finalize a deal with the Pens. While that in and of itself should not set off any alarms in Pittsburgh, at least not yet, the fact of the matter is that the situation is concerning.

Now, let’s also consider what former Tampa Bay Lightning Steven Stamkos did this summer. Contrary to what many believe, Tampa didn’t let Stamkos walk. Stamkos wanted to leave. The main reason being that Tampa’s competitive window is slowly closing. As such, a potential rebuild is looming on the horizon for the Lightning.

Crosby and the Pens are coming to the same realization. The Pens hired former Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas due to his experience with Toronto’s rebuild. However, the Pens didn’t realize that it was Lou Lamoriello who engineered the Leafs’ rebuild, not Dubas.

Be that as it may, Sidney Crosby is now faced with the prospect of a potential rebuild with a Penguins team that has a depleted prospect pipeline.

While Crosby has three Cup rings, he could still be motivated to skip Steeltown to chase another ring. That motivation drove Stamkos to sign with Nashville. Stamkos already has two rings. Nevertheless, he chose to sign with an up-and-coming contender with a decent chance to win a Cup.

So, why wouldn’t Crosby do the same?

Moreover, why wouldn’t he sign with the New York Islanders?

The Isles have just as good a chance to win as other contenders, but without all the drama that comes with playing for the Rangers and the Leafs.

Crosby wouldn’t really fit in Dallas or Colorado. Plus, it’s hard to imagine Crosby playing for Boston or Florida. Perhaps Vegas may entice Crosby to ride out the sunset in the desert, but the team just doesn’t have the cap space.

With all those issues in mind, the Islanders could be an interesting landing spot for Crosby to aim for one last hurrah.

Predicting Sidney Crosby’s Contract with the New York Islanders

Let’s assume that Crosby could be enticed to sign in The Island. All right, the big question is: What would the contract look like?

Crosby’s current $8.7 million cap hit is nothing to sneeze at. Even though he’s worth it, not too many teams have the cap room to make such a deal work. According to PuckPedia, the Isles are currently dead even with the cap.

That situation means the club would need to clear space to make a deal work.

If we assume that Crosby signs for about the same cap hit, say, $8 million, the Isles would need to make room despite the cap ceiling going up next season by about another $2 million.

The easiest way to clear up space would be to let Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri walk. Doing so would free up $11 million. Plus, the Isles would still have about $3 million left over to sign someone else. Perhaps moving Scott Mayfield could also help open up space.

Or, moving on from Anders Lee could solve the issue.

Despite the various numbers of possibilities, the fact is that Crosby's signing with the Islanders is not so far-fetched. The likeliest outcome is that Crosby and Pens work something out. But if Steven Stamkos’ situation is any indication, Islanders’ fans may be in for quite a surprise.