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I can hardly imagine Sidney Crosby staying in Pittsburgh beyond 2025-26
Félix Forget
I can hardly imagine Sidney Crosby staying in Pittsburgh beyond 2025-26
Credit: Getty Images
Sidney Crosby is currently in his 20th season as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Crosby, who has only known the Penguins throughout his professional career, has been seen for years as a player who is extremely loyal.

When Marc Bergevin talked about buying a dog if you wanted loyalty, he could have also suggested buying a Sidney Crosby, kind of.

So, for many years, we’ve been expecting to see Crosby retire in a Penguins uniform. That being said, with the team struggling, the idea of him being traded to a contender to finish his career is also being discussed.

And last night, on the airwaves of 98.5 FM, Martin McGuire and Dany Dubé discussed Crosby’s situation… and it led the commentator, who spoke to an experienced recruiter, to relate a phrase the recruiter told him:

I can hardly imagine Sidney Crosby staying in Pittsburgh beyond next season. – A recruiter, via Martin McGuire

Of course, it’s worth remembering that Crosby has a no-movement clause, so it’s up to him to decide his future. And anyway, even if he didn’t have that clause, it’s clear that his status means the Penguins have every advantage in respecting his demands.

Now, what the recruiter told McGuire is that he’s convinced the Penguins will ask Crosby by summer 2026 at the latest if he’d like to finish his career elsewhere. And the recruiter doesn’t rule out that conversation happening as early as this summer.

We don’t know if Crosby, who has already won the Stanley Cup and may prioritize spending his entire career in the same uniform over another Cup win, would accept being traded. However, if he were to accept it, it’s logical to think the Avalanche would be a logical destination considering his link with Nathan MacKinnon.

Some will point to the Habs, who would certainly not say no to the idea of having Sidney Crosby as their “second” center… but it would be surprising if the veteran, even if he was a Habs fan growing up, would want to leave Pittsburgh for a team that may not be a contender next year. Maybe if the Canadiens have a great 2025-26 season and Crosby decides to leave only in the summer of 2026, the conversation will be different, but that remains unlikely.

Of course, if Crosby were to change addresses, it would be huge news across the league. Seeing him in a new uniform would be… peculiar, but he would have earned it if he wants to try to win the Stanley Cup again.

And for many teams, a center who scored 80 points in 72 games this season and makes “only” $8.7 million per year would not be refused.


Overtime

– The Habs continue to get help in their playoff run.

– Nikita Kucherov is really on fire.

– 30 goals this season for Nathan MacKinnon.

– The Habs are not playing tonight, but their farm team is in action.

– A name to watch.

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