Sidney Crosby remains one of the most respected figures in Pittsburgh sports history, a player whose career has been defined by excellence and loyalty to the Penguins franchise.
Selected first overall in the 2005 NHL Draft in what became known as the Crosby sweepstakes, the Nova Scotia native has delivered three Stanley Cup titles and cemented his place among the game’s all-time greats.
Crosby is under contract for one more season at a team-friendly $8.7 million, a number well below what he could command on the open market. Although the captain has given no public indication he wants to leave Pittsburgh, trade speculation has followed him in recent years.
Toronto media personality Sid Seixeiro recently floated a high-profile idea that would send Crosby to the Montreal Canadiens, the team he cheered for as a boy. Seixeiro suggested the Canadiens offer prospect Michael Hage and a first-round pick in exchange for the Penguins star.
“Montreal Canadiens fans right now, Michael Hage and a 1st-round pick for Sidney Crosby. Do you do it? Anyone in Pittsburgh who doesn’t like this, you go to hell,” Seixeiro said.
“Kent Hughes, you’ve danced with Matthew Knies, you’ve danced with Marchenko, and you’ve danced with who knows?”
He continued: “I don’t know. You gotta make one call, man. Go get Crosby. You’ve got the prospects. You’ve got the picks. You’ve got a team ready to make a move. What Montreal Canadiens fan says no to that? Nobody. Come on… It’s a party if they get Sidney Crosby.”
Crosby was previously connected to Montreal last season and has also been linked to the Colorado Avalanche, where his close friend and fellow Nova Scotia product Nathan MacKinnon plays.
On the other side of the rumor mill, Penguins insider Josh Yohe reported that Crosby could be nearing a contract extension in Pittsburgh. Yohe noted the situation resembles the one that unfolded two years ago.
“When a similar contract situation unfolded for Crosby two years ago, he signed a two-year deal on Sept. 16, 2024, immediately before training camp began,” Yohe said. “We could be looking at a similar timeline this time.”
According to Yohe, Crosby’s agent Pat Brisson has been giving his client time to enjoy the rest of the summer before talks intensify.
“When I recently spoke with Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, he said he hadn’t discussed the contract with Crosby yet, indicating he was letting his most famous client enjoy his summer before getting back to business.”
Through 1,420 career games, all with Pittsburgh, Crosby has recorded 654 goals and 1,107 assists. Any move involving a player of his stature would reshape both the Penguins’ future and the Eastern Conference landscape.
For now, Pittsburgh fans are watching closely to see whether their longtime captain stays put or becomes the centerpiece of a blockbuster deal.
