How much cap space do the Pittsburgh Penguins have in the 2024 NHL offseason?
The Pittsburgh Penguins top priority will likely involve extending Sidney Crosby and embarking on one last run while he remains with the club.
The Pittsburgh Penguins of today aren’t the same team we have come to know between 2008 and 2022. That year, they earned a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Detroit Red Wings before taking it the following season.
Throughout the 2010s and early 2020s, Pittsburgh was the team to beat, but that is no longer the case. So, if they want to seriously contend to win at least another Cup while Sidney Crosby is still with them, the 2024 offseason is crucial.
While the Penguins can (and perhaps should) trade Crosby and collect what would be one of the biggest trade compensation packages in NHL history as opposed to extending him, let’s be real: It’s probably not happening. Instead, general manager Kyle Dubas will extend the future Hall of Famer and do all he can to help Crosby win another Cup with Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang at his side.
Unfortunately for the Penguins, this will be way easier said than done, as they are 22nd in the NHL with just over $13.7 million in cap space. But let’s remember something: Dubas found himself in similar situations with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he still built contenders, so this task won’t be incredibly daunting.
Pittsburgh Penguins won’t have much cap space in the 2024 offseason
When you take their lack of cap space and combine it with the need to extend Crosby, that could be problematic. Luckily for Dubas, Crosby most likely isn’t getting an AAV of $8.7 million this time around, and it will more likely resemble his current base salary of $3 million.
From there, look for Dubas to do whatever it takes to move around players, lure one more second-tier star player to Pittsburgh - maybe a notch below Erik Karlsson - and retool this lineup so it becomes championship-caliber once more.
No, the window of opportunity won’t be as wide open this time around, but to snag one last Cup for Crosby while claiming a sixth championship overall for the franchise would be a fitting end to one of the most storied careers in NHL history.
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