Risky Penguins Rebuild Could Push Sidney Crosby Out of Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a star studded lineup for the past two decades, but as players age and the team fail to land stars in the draft, that changes, and that has led the organization to a cross roads.

While they've got some young prospects coming through such as McGroarty, Koivunen, Kindel, Murashov, Horcruff and Zonnon, they've got no stars beyond Crosby to welcome them to the NHL, and that could be an issue.

Much has been made of Crosby's future this off-season, but with a lack of stars around him and those future prospects still years away from being significant contributors at the NHL level, the rebuild could ultimately lead to the departure of their long-time captain.

In the long run, this is a team that needs to keep adding young stars and future draft picks, and after selecting three times in the first-round of the 2025 NHL Draft, they've got many more picks that could land them a star of the future.

What that means for Crosby is that there's little chance of this team pushing for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the near future, and with Rakell, Rust and Karlsson among others potentially on the way out, it could make sense for Crosby to request out too.

Ultimately, given what he's done for this organization, Crosby is allowed to do whatever he wants for his future, and while he may stick it out and try help these young guys compete, with the team having all those draft picks and a focus on the future, his final few years in the NHL will be very intriguing to watch.