Crosby to sign 12 year - $104.4 million deal on Sunday

Pittsburgh Penguins star center Sidney Crosby will sign the richest contract in Penguins history, agreeing to a 12 year - $104.4 million. Pending league approval, the deal will be officially signed on Sunday afternoon and it is the second richest deal in NHL history.

Crosby's new deal will carry the same annual cap hit of $8.7 million that his current contract does. Crosby's new contract begins in 2013-2014 and Crosby, 24, will be under contract through the 2024-2025 season. He will be 37 years old at the end of his deal in 2025. The deal is expected to be heavily front loaded in the first 8 to 9 years.

TOP-5 RICHEST CONTRACTS

1. Alexander Ovechkin (13 yrs - $124 million)
2. Sidney Crosby (12 yrs - $104.4 million)
3. Ilya Kovalchuk ( 15 yrs - $100 million)
4. Vincent Lecavalier (11 yrs - $85 million)
5. Henrik Zetterberg (12 yrs - $73 million)

With much less money in the final couple years, this will likely be viewed by many NHL pundits as a 9-10 year deal with Crosby expected to receive close to $100 million in the first 10 years of the deal.

What does this deal mean for Free Agency?