Sidney Crosby trade speculation is gathering pace around the Pittsburgh Penguins, with NHL insiders reporting that the struggling club is open to offers — even as the captain himself has given no sign he wants to leave. The Penguins sit 29th in the NHL at 6-10-2, and every defeat now feeds the same question about their 39-year-old captain’s future.
According to NHL insider David Pagnotta, Pittsburgh made it known weeks ago that the team is open for business on the trade market. Pagnotta was blunt about the one condition that matters: Crosby is not going anywhere unless he wants to, which he described as a complete 180-degree turn for a player who has never publicly expressed a desire to leave Pittsburgh.
Crosby’s contract clock is ticking
Crosby’s current deal runs through the 2026-27 season, and no extension has been signed. That open contract is now the storyline that follows the Penguins everywhere. As The Athletic’s Josh Yohe noted, there was a change in the captain’s tone last Friday when he discussed his future, and at 39, with his deal expiring after this season, those comments naturally raised questions.
The production is not the problem. Crosby has 6 goals and 13 points in 18 games this season, and he moved into sixth place on the NHL’s all-time scoring list with 1,772 career points against Los Angeles on November 7, finishing that night on 1,774 points after scoring twice in a 5-2 win. The issue is the team around him: Pittsburgh has won only three of its last 10 games and is 2-7-1 on the road after a 5-2 defeat in Anaheim on Sunday.
Montreal watches — but Crosby holds the cards
The Montreal Canadiens are watching the situation closely, according to reports, but there is no deal to be made without Crosby’s say-so. Pagnotta added that he does not expect Evgeni Malkin to go anywhere either, and general manager Kyle Dubas will not act on the club’s legacy players without their understanding. Elliotte Friedman has delivered the same message: Pittsburgh is listening, but it will not move its captain against his wishes.
For now, the Penguins have at least steadied themselves with a 3-2 shootout win in San Jose on Wednesday night, and they return home to host Ottawa on Saturday. Until someone resolves the contract question, every loss will bring the trade talk back — and Crosby, the player who has carried the franchise for two decades, will keep holding all the cards. Landeskog scored twice as the Avalanche beat the Maple Leafs 6-3 in other NHL action this week, while Kaprizov won it in overtime as the Wild edged the Canadiens 2-1 in Montreal.
