Pittsburgh Penguins Q&A

Bob Grove of PittsburghPenguins.com has been answering fans' questions in his latest weekly feature called CRASH THE NET.

From the feature:

QUESTION: How long is Sidney Crosby going to for sure stay in Pittsburgh?

BOB GROVE: Under terms of the new collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and the NHL Players Association, those players who stay on NHL rosters from the age of 18 (immediately after being drafted) can qualify for unrestricted free agency at the age of 25. So the Penguins will retain Crosby's rights until that time -- at a minimum.

It should be noted that the new CBA also limits the salary of any one player to 20 percent of the league's salary cap, which this season sits at $39 million per team. That upper limit to the cap will move up and down from year to year, based on league-wide revenues. In fact, it is already anticipated that the cap will increase for next season. It is safe to assume that Crosby will earn the maximum amount possible when he signs his next contract after the 2007-08 season and that he will remain at the maximum number when he turns 25.

I point this out only to underscore the fact that Crosby, while he'll be free to go elsewhere at 25, won't be able to earn a greater salary from any other team.

Can you imagine the Pens losing Crosby at 25 in the midst of his absolute prime? Scary, but it could easily happen. Perhaps he'll head to Montreal...hmm...