Already looking forward to the 2021 Off-Season, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford has talked this week about extending the Penguins Cup Window as Sidney Crosby ages.

Rutherford in speaking to Josh Yohe of the Athletic spoke of making a Free Agency Splash.

Time will tell where things go but the Penguins’ ability to make a true free agency splash has been limited for several years due to the cap and Penguin ownerships lack of interest in dipping into the signing bonus game, an area of frustration inside the SiTo read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!

For an ownership group that every year spends to the cap, it’s still a group that will nickel and dime’s things if their bottom line is taking a hit. Regular working folks in the organization were dealt with having to take significant pay cuts during the the start of the pandemic, yet, the organization went out and received a $5 million Payroll Protection Loan (for what they claim was to pay rent) that leaked out just when their billionaire owner this month bought the Michael Jackson Neverland Ranch for $22 million. The billionaire investor who is always wheeling and dealing with investments, is in the news again this week in buying the historic Palm Springs properties for around $19 million the other day.

Talk of the Penguins planning to cut salary this coming season was met with serious pushback from Crosby’s inner circle, multiple sources say, who have sought assurances that wasn’t going to happen or won’t be the case moving forward. Sources say the Crosby camp has been told the Penguins see an opportunity for financial flexibility after this season and plan to be aggressive the next couple years in chasing a young star via trade (more likely route) [hide] or free agency to play out Crosby’s final prime years.

Crosby is a company man and always will be, but there’s others in his circle who constantly try to apply pressure to the ownership that they don’t take the foot off the pedal (financially) in trying to build a Stanley Cup winner each season.

It never goes unnoticed inside the Crosby camp of money in real dollars he’s saved the organization in the 12 year cheat deal he signed in 2012. They want to see the Penguins be much more aggressive in being able to sign or take on players with significant signing bonuses owed.

As player salaries have been hit with the escrow and a shortened season, Crosby is due to make $9 million next season (2021-2022) then see his salary drop to $3 million a season from 2022-2023 to 2024-2025.

Health permitted, Sidney Crosby is still going to see be a top-10 player in two seasons when he’s making just $3 million a season.

After this season, the door does open with a lot of financial flexibility on how the Penguins want to build around Sidney Crosby’s final years.

Total Salary Owed 2021-2022 Season Through 2026-2027 Season

Mike Matheson | Total Salary Owed: $28.5 Million | Bonuses: $7 Million | Signed Through: 2025-2026

John Marino | Total Salary Owed: $26.4 Million | Bonuses: $0 | Signed Through: 2026-2027

Sidney Crosby | Total Salary Owed: $18 Million | Bonuses: $0 | Signed Through: 2024-2025

Jake Guentzel | Total Salary Owed: $18 Million | Bonuses: $0 | Signed Through: 2023-2024

Marcus Pettersson | Total Salary Owed: $16.1 Million | Bonuses: $0 | Signed Through: 2024-2025

Brandon Tanev | Total Salary Owed: $13.8 Million | Bonuses: $3 Million | Signed Through: 2024-2025

Jason Zucker | Total Salary Owed: $11.45 Million | Bonuses: $0 | Signed Through: 2022-2023

Evgeni Mallkin | Total Salary Owed: $9.5 Million | Bonuses: $5 Million | Signed Through: 2021-2022

Brian Dumoulin | Total Salary Owed: $8.2 Million | Bonuses: $0 | Signed Through: 2022-2023

Tristan Jarry | Total Salary Owed: $8 Million | Bonuses: $0 | Signed Through: 2022-2023

Kris Letang | Total Salary Owed: $7.25 Million | Bonuses: $0 | Signed Through: 2021-2022

Bryan Rust | Total Salary Owed: $3.5 Million | Bonuses: $0 | Signed Through: 2021-2022

Jared McCann | Total Salary Owed: $3.38 Million | Bonuses: $0 | Signed Through: 2021-2022

Kasperi Kapanen | Total Salary Owed: $2.34 Million | Bonuses: $1.54 Million | Signed Through: 2021-2022

Casey DeSmith | Total Salary Owed: $1.5 Million | Bonuses: $0 | Signed Through: 2021-2022

Jusso Riikola | Total Salary Owed: $1.3 Million | Bonuses: $0 | Signed Through: 2021-2022

Chad Ruhwedel | Total Salary Owed: $750,000 | Bonuses: $0 | Signed Through 2021-2022