Ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft at Sphere, Kyle Dubas said he was comfortable regarding the status of contract talks with Sidney Crosby, who is entering the last year of his contract and eligible to sign an extension.

The Penguins captain, now in Las Vegas himself for the annual NHL Player Media Tour, also feels good about where everything stands. When Crosby was asked if he saw a scenario where he could play out the season before agreeing to a new deal, he responded, “No, no. I’m pretty optimistic it’s going to get done.

“I mean, I don’t know what day specifically, but it’s been really positive. It hasn’t been a difficult process at all. I’m optimistic that something will get done.”

While Crosby – who turned 37 on Aug. 7 – continues to play at the highest level, he admitted it’s hard to put a number on how many years he has left. “You don’t really know the trajectory of everything and how you’re going to feel mentally, physically,” Crosby said. “I think that when you get to this point, you understand that’s more of a reality with every year you play. But I think you just kind of check in with that through the year, every year, and evaluate it.”

And now, entering his 20^th NHL season, Crosby possesses the same enthusiasm he had as a rookie.

“I feel really good. I’m just as excited about going to training camp as I was my first year,” Crosby said. “So, I think the passion and that sort of thing is all there. As long as that’s there, then you want to put in the work and do everything that it takes to be successful. Then hopefully, it can be at least a few more.”

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Crosby is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career. His 42 goals were the third-highest total, while his 94 points were seventh-most. He was the driving force behind Pittsburgh’s surge down the stretch as they fought to make the playoffs, ultimately missing by one point for the second year in a row.

“We’ve been right there the last couple years,” Crosby said. “I think for me personally, the way I look at it is, if we can find some way to get over that hump and get into the playoffs where we haven’t, trying to use some of that momentum we finished with last year would be great. We finished really strong. I think we all felt good about hanging in there the way we did. I think we’re just hoping that we can be a little more consistent in a few areas, and hopefully that’ll get us in the playoffs.”

On the first day of free agency, Dubas said it would be ‘foolish’ not to keep in constant contact with Crosby when it comes to management’s thought process regarding the direction of the team. “Especially when we’re going through something a little different than what everyone has been used to since he arrived in 2005,” said Dubas, who’s worked to surround Crosby and the rest of the core with young, hungry players and established veterans on short-term, prove-it deals while recouping assets.

The goal is to return the Penguins to being a contender as quickly as possible without stripping things down to the studs, and Crosby appreciates the task that Dubas and his group have in front of them.

“He’s the general manager of the team. He’s got to do what’s best for the club. That’s his job, and I understand that,” Crosby said. I’ve been around for long enough to understand that there are challenges that come with that, probably even more so with our team. I think that’s something I’m well aware of. He’s got to approach it a certain way, and as a player, I have to do the same. That’s just hockey. That’s how you get to this point.”

From Crosby’s perspective, the goal is always the same regardless of the team’s situation.

“You go out there every night expecting to win hockey games,” Crosby said. “That’s been our culture. That’s something we pride ourselves on.”

From a big-picture standpoint, there’s some significant milestones on the horizon. Crosby enters the 2024-25 season just four points shy of 1,600, while Alex Ovechkin is just 42 goals shy of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record (894).

“It’s really cool,” Crosby said. “To be able to play in the same division, to have had the history that we have over the years… to come in at the same time with pretty high expectations and to see him this close to what was thought to be an untouchable record, it’s incredible what he’s going. I feel grateful to be part of that. As a player, you want to compete at the highest level. To be in that conversation with him over the years, I hope that we’ve gotten the best out of each other, and hopefully we’ve got some strong years left here.”