As the Pittsburgh Penguins approach a fork in the road between rebuilding or making one last run at the Stanley Cup with its current core, captain Sidney Crosby's future is being called into question.
Crosby's agent, Pat Brisson, further ignited the debate with his borderline cryptic comments, saying "each year the team that he’s playing for fails to make the playoffs, it creates a lot of speculation" and "he’s not getting any younger."
Meanwhile, Crosby hismelf has been generally tight-lipped, but he retains the position that while he understands how and why the rumors are created, he still sees himself in a Penguins jersey until the day he retires.
" Let’s put it this way, [a trade] is always a possibility... 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."Pat Brisson, Sidney Crosby's agent
Whether the Penguins will decide to go all-in on another championship for Crosby and co. or commit to retooling the roster is still yet to be seen. But if Crosby should be traded, here are the destinations that make the most sense.
Panthers, Canadiens ranked most likely landing spots for Crosby
According to The Athletic, the Florida Panthers are at the front of the line to land the future Hall of Famer based on their chances at winning a third straight Stanley Cup championship. If Crosby is truly chasing another ring before his looming retirement in the next few years, then Florida could be his best bet. Remember, the 38-year-old has a full no-movement clause so he is entirely in control of where he ends up.
The problem? Cap space. The Panthers are currently in the red when it comes to available cap space, and it would take a serious blockbuster deal with a major asset going to Pittsburgh if they were to attempt to get Crosby to come to Sunrise. There's also the question of where Crosby would fit in the lineup. Virtually no player has a chance at beating out captain Aleksander Barkov for the title of No. 1 center, and the top six seems like a lock at this point, unless second line center Sam Bennett is either moved to wing or sent to the Penguins in the trade. (That would also solve the financial problem, though.)
At this point, Crosby to the Panthers still sounds like a fever dream without some serious gymnastics on the part of Florida GM Bill Zito. Then again, Zito pulled off the impossible by trading for Brad Marchand in March and then re-signing three members of the team's core all at once, which even Marchand said he didn't think would happen. That's to say, if anyone can do it, Zito can.
Along with the Panthers, the Montreal Canadiens were also recognized by The Athletic as a likely trade partner for the Penguins. The Habs are a team on the upswing after spending a few years retooling, and Crosby could fit perfectly in a mentor role for younger skaters such as Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov.
That's not to mention, he would have a decided role in Montreal's lineup compared to Florida. Montreal was below the league average when it came to goal scoring in 2024-25, so adding a 90-plus point scorer like Crosby would inject offense into their lineup in a huge way.
Looking at the business side of things, the Canadiens are in a much more favorable position financially to take on Crosby's $8.7 million contract with over $4.6 million in cap space and several players on mid-range salaries that they aren't married to keeping, to say the least. Plus, the depth of the prospect pool would be enticing for the Penguins to dip their toes into in exchange for Crosby.
Let's not forget, Crosby's favorite team growing up was the Canadiens, so it would be a homecoming of epic proportions in the twilight of his career. With the direction that Montreal is headed, there is reason to be optimistic that the addition of Crosby could carry them to a deep playoff run.
Other contenders could also be in the mix for Crosby
The Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche are two other teams being brought up in the rumor mill, mostly thanks to the fact that their championship windows are both wide open and adding one more piece could be the factor that sends them over the edge.
The Hurricanes in particular feel like a reasonable destination for Crosby. The team is still looking for a solid second-line center -- or more realistically, a 1B center behind Sebastian Aho -- and Crosby could be that guy. He is exactly the consistent, reliable and versatile skater that Carolina was lacking when it came time for the postseason particularly in the series against the Panthers. The team loaded up big time during the offseason adding Nikolaj Ehlers and K'Andre Miller, so GM Eric Tulsky is not afraid of making headlines with a splashy trade and Crosby would address the team's final concern of bolstering that second line.
When it comes to finances, the Hurricanes are sitting pretty with over $10 million in cap space on the books right now, meaning they wouldn't have to do any finagling in order to accommodate Crosby's contract, so that's always a plus.
Similarly, the Avalanche could use an upgrade over Brock Nelson at the second-line center position, which Crosby is perfectly suited for. It would be a reunion for the ages with Team Canada teammates Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, instantly making Colorado one of the league's powerhouse lineups even more than they already are. They still need to account for the offense lost in the Mikko Rantanen trade, and Crosby could be the X-factor that replaces him.
Will Crosby be traded? No one can say for certain, but if he is dealt at some point during the season, these teams are at the top of the list.