It's hard to imagine Sidney Crosby in anything other than a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey, but it doesn't stop people from imagining possible trade scenarios. Crosby has always disregarded it when his name came up in rumors, but it's hard to block out the noise with the Penguins heading for a rebuild. The legend discussed the issue in a recent conversation with Daily Faceoff.
“I understand it,” Crosby told Daily Faceoff. “It's not something that you want to discuss. You'd rather be talking about who we're getting at the [Trade] Deadline or where we're at as far as are we No. 1, 2 or 3 in the division. But it's one of those things that's a hard part about losing. Everybody thinks that losing is, the buzzer goes, you lose the game, and that sucks, but there's so much more than that. It's the turnover, it's the unknown, the uncertainty, the question marks.”
Any hockey fan would love to see one of the game's greatest players make one more run at a Stanley Cup. It's becoming increasingly clear that the opportunity won't come with the Penguins, who finished 11 points outside of a playoff spot last season. Pittsburgh could be facing an even worse outcome this season, which is why the trade rumors continue to swirl.
“That’s the stuff that’s tough,” Crosby continued. “And it makes you appreciate all those years that we’re competing and going after that 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 team the Penguins finished 11 points behind, the Montreal Canadiens, is one team that could use Crosby. He was a Habs fan growing up, and his father was a former goaltender in the organization. Diehard Canadiens fans dream of Crosby finishing his career with his childhood team, but it isn't that simple. Kyle Dubas understands that a Crosby trade would fetch a nice return and accelerate the rebuild. However, he'd never go against Crosby's wishes.
One more losing season could tip the scales in the direction of Sidney Crosby wanting a trade, but for now, he's happy in Pittsburgh. Hockey fans are only left to wish that the ultra-competitive superstar might change his mind after another losing season.
