Remember the heartbreak when Brad Marchand had to leave Boston in March after he and the Bruins failed to reach a middle ground over a new contract? It was a painful thing to see, not only for fans of the team but for hockey connoisseurs everywhere. But could something similar also be on the table for Sidney Crosby?

The veteran NHL star is supposed to enter his 21st season with the Penguins. With the prospect of Crosby winning his 4th Stanley Cup in the next season, it’s understandable that the new coach, Dan Muse, was hoping that the long-time Penguins center would be his key to rebuilding the team. “As soon as we get on the ice for the first time, we’re going to continue to build,” Muse said in a press conference earlier in June. However, as startling news comes to light about Sidney Crosby’s future, the new team boss might need to devise a contingency plan for his grand vision.

Georges Laraque, a former Oilers and Penguins star, took to X on June 27, claiming that Crosby’s days with the Pittsburgh team could be numbered. “I’m hearing there’s a very good chance that Crosby will play somewhere else…,” reads the former NHL player’s social media status from Friday. However, Laraque didn’t elaborate on he matter any further.

But rumors about the seasoned Penguins star feeling discomfort about the current state of things are rising. With Pittsburgh missing the playoffs thrice in a row, it’s understandable that Crosby might be thinking that greener pastures lie elsewhere. “He’s not happy. I know he’s not,” said The Athletic‘s Josh Yohe during an appearance on the Kaboly + Mack podcast only recently.

“If Sidney Crosby gets dealt to Colorado tonight, this will instantly become the best draft in history,” read Robinson’s update. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, too, added to the speculation by sharing a pic of the Denver skyline on X, subtly hinting that Crosby could be on his way to Colorado in a move to play with his pal Nathan MacKinnon.

However, someone stepped in to stop things from spiraling further. Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, labelled the speculations as “baseless rumors” via a text message to The Athletic‘s Rob Rossi. MacKinnon himself brushed aside the whole thing as “fake news“. That’s some relief for the Penguins fans right there. But let’s be honest, were we really thinking something like this would go down like a bolt from the blue?

A tumbling Penguins team, despite Sidney Crosby’s consistency

Despite the Penguins putting forth a disastrous performance in the 2024-25 season, it wasn’t exactly so bad for Crosby. While his team continued fumbling along the way, the team captain kept adding new feathers to his illustrious cap. The 2024-25 regular season was Crosby’s 20th point-per-game season, one more than what Wayne Gretzky has to his name. Quite the feat, indeed! 91 points in 80 games only reiterated how much steam Crosby still has left. Justifiably, his teammates couldn’t stop lauding him for the milestone.

“His consistency is just incredible,” said Crosby’s teammate Kris Letang. And yet, all his efforts couldn’t make sure that the Penguins ended the season where they wanted to. Having missed the playoffs for the third straight season, Pittsburgh is now just one year behind its longest-ever playoff drought (four years, 2002-2006). Naturally, it was only a matter of time before fans started believing that Crosby would try to find himself a new camp to make amends.

However, the new coach seems to have Crosby on his mind to execute his plans. “There’s going to be a lot of work that goes into it beforehand. That’s to work with each individual and what they need. It’s going to be to work with the collective group,” Muse told reporters about how the Penguins need to work hand-in-hand to come out of their misery, and without a doubt, his vision centers around Sidney Crosby and his ability to lead the team by example.

So, how do you think the next season will pan out for Sidney Crosby and his Pittsburgh brethren? Share your thoughts below!