Sidney Crosby belongs on the Canadiens when the Penguins hit reset

Rumors are rumors, but the Pittsburgh Penguins should seriously consider trading Sidney Crosby to the Montreal Canadiens right now.
Pittsburgh Penguins v Montreal Canadiens
Pittsburgh Penguins v Montreal Canadiens | Minas Panagiotakis/GettyImages

With an article from The Athletic speculating on Sidney Crosby's future with the Pittsburgh Penguins, particularly tying him in with the Montreal Canadiens, if I'm general manager Kyle Dubas, I'm manifesting these rumors into a reality.

Why? Because if you trade an aging star player like Crosby to a team like the Canadiens, an organization that's way ahead of schedule in their rebuild - if you can even call it that anymore - you, in turn, speed up your own rebuild.

The Habs got a dynamic prospects pool and draft picks. But with a core already intact in Quebec with Crosby factoring in as one of the final pieces that would fuel a championship run, the Habs will overpay for him.

For one, the Gavin McKenna Sweepstakes got even sweeter, since trading Crosby guarantees a fire sale and a surefire chance at landing the top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Then, when you get two first-round picks from the Habs in 2026 and 2027, plus at least a high-end prospect, give it three years tops, and you'll be back in contention.

The Penguins can trade Sidney Crosby and ignite a fire sale

This wouldn't be a long teardown like you've seen with other teams. The Pens won't decline into decay like the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks if they pawned off Crosby, preferably sooner rather than later.

And even if you didn't win the Gavin McKenna Sweepstakes, the 2026 draft class is so good that anyone taken in the top five will be ready to rock by the time the puck drops in October 2027 at the latest. So again, the trade makes sense, even if there'll be short-term pain.

No, the Crosby Era wouldn't end in the Steel City the way most fans envisioned. But who cares? Why keep pushing something that ain't working? Crosby's not leading you to the playoffs this season, and he probably ain't leading you to the playoffs next year, either.

So why keep doing this? For nostalgia's sake? Emotional ties to one of the greatest players in franchise history? Hey, if I had it my way, I'm making the trade right now and building a core that will put this team back into Cup contention ASAP.

Crosby, Geno Malkin, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, they're not taking you anywhere. Send them elsewhere, and start turning this thing around starting here in 2025. Kyle Dubas knows how to build hockey teams, so let him rip everything down to the foundation, starting with Crosby, and rebuild it now.

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