“There’s no change at all to anything from our perspective. Everything that we’re doing is about bringing the team back to being a contending team, and our hope is to sure do that while Sid is a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.” The Penguins’ GM, Kyle Dubas, did not mince his words when asked about Pittsburgh’s plan for their legendary captain, Sidney Crosby. But considering how poor the Penguins have been over the last few years, Crosby may follow the Brad Marchand path, who was pledged to the Bruins for life, but ultimately ended up in Miami in his twilight years.

As per ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, there is an idea floating in the wind that is not too wild. If Sidney wants out of Pittsburgh, the Avalanche are emerging as the perfect destination for the 37-year-old veteran. The main reason why Crosby’s name is being linked to Colorado is because of his good friend, Nathan MacKinnon. The two often work out together and are from the same area in Nova Scotia, up in Canada. And last but not least is their chemistry on the ice, which the world witnessed during the last 4 Nations when they led Canada to the gold medal.

“I’ve long believed he’ll end his career in Montreal; I always assumed if it wasn’t Pittsburgh, it was going to be Montreal, that’s kind of where I’m at with it; the Colorado thing is sort of like a pipedream,” Wyshynski said on The Sheet. Fueling more fire to this speculation, a recent report now suggests that people close to the Penguins’ center want his exit more than anyone else. 

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, before Crosby calls it a career, his close circle wants him to make that one final push, but not in Pittsburgh. “I know everyone asks about Sidney Crosby; I’ve said people in Crosby’s orbit want him to go; Crosby hates it when this stuff starts; someone said to me if you really want Crosby to leave, don’t talk about it,” said Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast.

However, according to NHL insider Greg Wyshynski, all hope may not be lost just yet. “We all pretty much figure that Crosby’s out after Malkin’s out, which is after next season,” Wyshynski said on The Sheet. But he also speculated, “What if you have [2026 prospect] Gavin McKenna there? Would that increase the chances of Sid sticking around and retiring as a Penguin?” McKenna is a projected 2026 No.1 pick who currently plays at the forward position for the Penn State Nittany Lions. But in case Crosby does end up leaving, where could he possibly end up?

Possible trade destinations for Sidney Crosby

While Crosby may hate hearing speculations surrounding his trade, the rumor mill can hardly stop spinning. On Monday’s episode of The Sheet, Greg Wyshynski sounded convinced that “Sidney Crosby will end his career in Montreal.” And guess what? He is not the only one who is sold on the possibility.

During a recent episode of Sportsnet 590 The Fan, NHL insider Nick Kypreos, in discussion with analysts Justin Bourne and Sam MacKee, also sounded pretty sure that Crosby would end up with the Canadiens. In fact, he even went so far as to give a timeline. “Wait till they [Montreal Canadiens] get Sid Crosby after the [2026 Milan Cortina] Olympics,” Kypreos said. “I’m liking the odds a little better than I did maybe a few weeks ago.” Then again, the Canadiens might not be the only team in the conversation.

Thanks to Crosby’s relationship with Nathan MacKinnon, he has also been speculated to join the Colorado Avalanche. After all, the two stars are close friends, train together, and both hail from the same region in Nova Scotia, Canada. That being said, MacKinnon himself has labeled the speculation as “Fake news” with even Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, dismissing them as “baseless”. Where do you think Crosby will retire? Let us know in the comments.