NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman hinted at when Sidney Crosby might entertain a trade as the entire NHL takes notice of how Pittsburgh's season unfolds.
News broke earlier this summer that there was the potential that the Pittsburgh Penguins might entertain trading franchise cornerstone and icon of the game, Sidney Crosby if things really go south and they truly decide to wave the white flag.
While it would have been insane to think Crosby is headed anywhere else in his career, there is only so much he can take when it comes to a rebuild and odds are he would like to finish his career on a high note.
However a new report from Elliotte Friedman shows that while it seems unlikely a Crosby trade gets done, if the Pens are in an unfavorable position heading into the latter part of the season; he might be willing to leave:
"This is gonna be Crosby's call; I don't think it happens before the Olympics; after the Olympics if they're out of it...does this happen?"
It's obvious that the onus is going to be on Crosby to make his own decisions considering how much prestige and respect he holds around the league. The future HHOF shoe-in is going to be 38 this season, and while there are no indications of regressing; time is the ultimate equalizer.
However on the flip side, the two teams who have been heavily linked to Crosby are the Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens.
If he were to go to the former, it's not a big deal for teams like Toronto and Florida unless he meets them in the Cup Finals, and he clearly has a deep connection with Nathan MacKinnon.
But on the other hand, he wasn't shy about the possibility of landing in Montreal and genuinely sounded like it would be a place he would go to if he decided to move on.
Crosby, 38, is a surefire Hall of Fame inductee. In 1,352 games he's posted 1,687 points (625 goals, 1,067 assists) and his accolade list is a mile long and includes three Stanley Cups, two Hart Trophies, two Art Ross Trophies, and two Conn Smythe Awards.
While the Pittsburgh captain did end up trying to quell any rumors surrounding him leaving, there is no guarantees in the NHL and we could see one of the greatest of all time in a different jersey come March.