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'You're Entitled to Believe That': Sidney Crosby Shuts Down Journalist After Question About Tanking


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Jack Sutherland
September 15, 2025  (7:29 PM)
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Sidney Crosby in an interview
Photo credit: X.com

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has no interest in the thought of tanking the upcoming year based on the latest comments he made.

Some believe that the strategy for Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas is to put the team in the best possible position to not compete for a playoff spot, thereby increasing their chances of a poor record.
This would also increase their chances of being named the winners of the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, and the right to take Gavin McKenna with the 1st overall pick next summer.
The strategy popularly known as "tanking" has been employed by teams in the past, notably the Buffalo Sabres a decade ago when they did everything possible to try and stack up the losses to get the 1st overall pick; the top prize that year was Connor McDavid.
They fell just short, came in 2nd place with the right to take Jack Eichel. And to say things didn't work out between the two sides would be an understatement.
But don't tell Penguins captain Sidney Crosby anything about tanking, because he's not interested .
It's professional sports, you play to win. That's how I view it and you're not gonna convince me otherwise. If you're one of those people that believe that, then you're entitled to believe in that, but that's not why I signed up to play the game and that's not the game that I know.

It's clear that Crosby intends to win, regardless of what the analysts say about the team's chances.

Kyle Dubas still has not found a trade partner for multiple players

Dubas went into the summer, allegedly trying to trade players like Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Erik Karlsson.
Unfortunately for Dubas, no team emerged as takers for any of the players, and as training camp is set to begin later this week, they're all still with the team.
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SEPTEMBRE 15   |   32 ANSWERS
'You're Entitled to Believe That': Sidney Crosby Shuts Down Journalist After Question About Tanking

Is Penguins GM Kyle Dubas trying to tank this season?

Yes1237.5 %
No2062.5 %
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