Professional athletes very rarely spend their entire careers with one team, especially in today’s day and age.
Sidney Crosby has long been one who’s bucked that trend, synonymous with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the expectations were that it would forever be the case.
Even after three straight seasons of missing the playoffs and the organization embarking on a rebuild, Crosby has never wavered on his desire to be a Penguin for life.
However, things change, and his agent, Pat Brisson’s, recent comments suggesting that a trade one day is a possibility have turned the situation on its side. Penguins insider Josh Yohe is as tuned into it all as anyone, and even he’s now admitting that Crosby’s future in Pittsburgh might not be so certain.
“Perhaps, for the first time, what is best for Crosby isn’t what is best for the Penguins, and vice versa… Until yesterday, I never thought a Crosby trade was imaginable, despite so many in the hockey industry seemingly willing it to happen. Now, I’m not so sure. If Brisson is indeed speaking for his client, then there is reason to believe that Crosby’s frustration with the current state of the Penguins is at a boiling point,” Yohe wrote.
“One way or the other, the current mood doesn’t feel sustainable, and the Penguins can’t enter the season with this speculation hovering over their heads. It’s time for everyone involved to get on the same page. What Brisson said on Tuesday indicates strongly that this isn’t currently the case. This needs to change,” Yohe added.
Trading Sid always seemed like a silly fantasy for fans in other markets. But I feel like there is a problem now.
Pat Brisson said it’s a non-issue so long as the Penguins are good this season.
And let’s be honest: They probably won’t be.
My column: https://t.co/fIs1pIdNSA— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) September 11, 2025
The 38-year-old is about to begin the first season of the two-year, $17.4 million contract extension he signed with the Penguins in 2024.
Sidney Crosby needs to get back into the playoffs
If the Pittsburgh Penguins were competitive, none of this would even be a conversation. The problem is that’s obviously not the case, and it’s unlikely to be for quite some time.
Unless Kyle Dubas is able to work magic and turn the team around quicker than anyone expects, Sidney Crosby won’t be playing playoff hockey in Pittsburgh.
While he’s had all of the postseason success you could imagine, it’s a shame that we haven’t seen him back in the dance since 2021-22, particularly given how dominant he still is at age 38.
Crosby got a taste of playing on the biggest stage at the 4 Nations and will get another at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The question is, will that satisfy him enough or fuel his hunger to compete for a Stanley Cup even more?
