Sidney Crosby has long been a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but his name hasn't been immune to trade rumors.
Last season, he was consistently linked with a trade to the Colorado Avalanche, one that would put him on the same team as fellow Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native Nathan MacKinnon and others like Conn Smythe winning defenseman Cale Makar and others like longtime captain Gabe Landeskog.
This season, the trade rumors aren't swirling as aggressively, but there is still some substance for future discussion. Most notably, Crosby's continued praise of Edmonton Oilers head coach Mike Babcock; despite initially drawing the ire of many across the league, Crosby has consistently backed his former Team Canada bench boss.
After previously backing Babcock's coaching style and organization, Crosby once again defended his former coach. Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal included a quote from Crosby in a recent piece about the Oilers; the Penguins captain recently stated that Babcock's coaching has helped the Oilers "look like they are on the same page." Before saying that, Crosby added that "you can tell how focused they are."
Would Crosby ever accept a move to Edmonton?
Possibly, but I think we need to hold off on that discussion until the summer.
After all, Chris Johnston recently stated that any decision from Crosby to leave the organization that drafted him would come during the offseason. The offseason where that could take place is much sooner than once might anticipate; Crosby is set to become a free agent this summer unless he puts pen to paper on a new deal with the Penguins' front office before the end of June.
But even with Elliotte Friedman supporting the notion that the Penguins are in a position where they can kickstart a rebuild of sorts, Crosby would not be involved in accelerating those plans until much further past the deadline.
That said, if he desired, two things could further push Crosby to leave the organization in search of one more Stanley Cup. When Friedman made the above claim, the Penguins had a 5-9-2 record; though the team has won two of their last three, they are still eight points back of a playoff spot and American Thanksgiving is only drawing nearer.
The second factor is what happens elsewhere and whether the Penguins actually decide to rebuild. Erik Karlsson could be the catalyst for any potential rebuild; Bleacher Report recently discussed the Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Utah Mammoth as potential trade destinations. Given Pittsburgh's potential priorities, any trade involving Karlsson could likely involve acquiring a younger defenseman, meaning that a Karlsson-for-Nikishin deal or a reunion with the Senators could make the most sense for Pittsburgh.
Though Karlsson would also waive his no-move clause for a trade to Toronto to reunite with former Sens teammate Daniel Alfredsson, who is an assistant to head coach Jim Hiller, it remains to be seen if the Penguins would accept a move involving a team where the defensemen are generally closer to the end of their career. In the case of Toronto, only Cole McWard is at or below the age of 25, while five of the Leafs' full-time defensemen are above the age of 30.
If Karlsson gets moved, expect the Penguins to also consider moving other pieces in the lead-up to the March 1 trade deadline. Evgeni Malkin could be one of those pieces, especially considering that he is 40 and that Dubas' view on Malkin's contract situation isn't exactly an optimistic one in terms of the long-term future. If the Penguins truly aren't open to signing Malkin, he'll be the second superstar to be traded in what could be the beginning of a massive overhaul.
Should one, both, or other moves happen, Crosby would almost certainly consider signing a one-to-two year deal elsewhere to finish out his career (save for a one-day contract to retire as a Penguin). We've seen superstars in other leagues leave the only team they've known to sign short-term deals elsewhere to get to the end of their career. Michael Jordan is one of the more notable examples, having signed a two-year deal with the Washington Wizards after two separate stints with the Chicago Bulls. That same tier of athletes also saw quarterback Tom Brady spend three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after taking on the starring role of a New England Patriots dynasty that won six Super Bowl titles.
If Crosby were to join the Oilers, it would almost certainly be in this capacity. And given his ties to and praise of Babcock, it isn't implausible to suggest that he would join the Oilers should the coaching assignment remain constant heading into the 2027-28 season.
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