The agent for Penguins franchise icon Sidney Crosby, Pat Brisson of CAA Sports, spoke to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic about his client’s future in Pittsburgh ahead of a season that has the Pens positioned as one of the few true sellers in the league. While LeBrun stressed that Crosby “for sure only sees himself as a Penguin for life” entering his 21st NHL season, his camp is giving him plenty of room to change his mind if Pittsburgh’s showing this season is as poor as expected.
When asked directly if a Crosby trade before the end of his deal in 2026-27 is possible, Brisson had this to say:
I mean, I’m answering something that … let’s put it this way, it’s always a possibility, you know? It’s been three years they haven’t made the playoffs. It all depends on how Sid is going to be and how the team is going to do. I maintain the same position that I do believe that he should be playing playoff hockey every year. In my opinion.
There remains virtually no chance of a surprise Crosby blockbuster before the start of the season. The Penguins haven’t even managed to trade one of their three major trade chips, wingers Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust and defenseman Erik Karlsson, in the six-plus months they’ve been available dating back to last season’s trade deadline. Crosby could have both those forwards as his wingmen to open the season, either to squeeze as much production out of them as possible to boost their trade stock or simply to give this Penguins team a fighting chance at being in the mix for the playoffs.
As Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas told LeBrun, that remains the organization’s goal – whether that’s via resurgent veterans or ahead-of-schedule growth from the young talent they’ve been busy accumulating over the past several months. “Our focus is on returning the Pittsburgh Penguins to perennial contender status as urgently as possible, “Dubas said. “Taking away our focus from that task would only slow down from a job that requires our full attention and nothing less.”
Crosby himself gave a more in-depth quote on where his mindset is at entering the season to Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin:
It’s not something you want to discuss. You’d rather be talking about who we’re getting at the (trade) deadline or, you know, where we’re at as far as, are we one or two or three in the division?. But you know, it’s one of those things. That’s the hard part about losing. I think everybody thinks that the buzzer goes and you lose a game and that sucks, but there’s so much more than that. It’s the (roster) turnover. It’s the unknown, the uncertainty, the question marks — that’s the stuff that’s tough. It makes you appreciate all those years that we were competing and going after the big acquisition every single trade deadline. I don’t think I took it for granted, but I definitely appreciate it that much more now.
The last GM regime really hurt the Pens. Washington showed what could happen if you had good hockey minds running the show. I’m really not a Dubas fan by any means, so other then McKenna being drafted…I don’t see many good things for this team for a long while yet.
Interesting that they are cracking the door open, but I highly doubt he goes anywhere. I get the impression that brisson wants him to, but sid wants to ride it out. I suppose if they finish dead last and Malkin retires Sid could ask for a trade, but I just don’t see it happening. He wants to be a one team guy.
Dec 1st trade… Crosby for Hutson and Montreal 1st Rounders in 2027 and 2028.
Good on Ted !! You could take that routine on tour !
Crosby is still elite. But why would the Canadians trade their superstar in the making defenceman as they begin to enter their competitive years? Crosby has 2-3 years maybe he pushes it to 4-5 given the shape he’s in and his still absolutely elite playing. But I just don’t see a world MTL does this. Hutson has 10+ years of stardom ahead. Crosby is absolutely worth that price but it doesn’t make sense for the Canadiens.
In the modern NHL it’s just incredibly difficult to play your entire career with one team. They had a ton of success in Pittsburgh but it’s probably time for the fire sale. Get something for players while they still have value and rebuild the team for the future or end up like Detroit having to rebuild from nothing.
No one thinks of Ray Borque as an Av. I’m sure Pittsburgh is going to be bad and if he wants to go chase another cup the Pens will accommodate him. Sid gets another chance at a cup and Pittsburgh gets assets towards a rebuild
Why will Florida or Vegas get him. Discuss
I agree with this. He’s not going anywhere.
Adding a 4th Cup as a passenger does nothing to bolster his resume. Being the greatest single uniform player ever (he’s about to pass Howe for most points with one franchise) does.
I suspect this is a warning shot to Dubas and the potential new owners to keep Sid happy (meaning quality linemates and PP unit even in a rebuild).
NOW, the one thing that might make him want to leave is if Dan Muse turns out to be Mike Johnston 2.0
That guy almost ruined Sid. If Muse is equally bush league, maybe just maybe he changes his mind.
Hope Sid stays a Penguin for life and doesn’t sniff the playoffs ever again…..