Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Insider Chris Johnston floats bold statement involving Sidney Crosby and Montreal: 'All-in'
NHL insider Chris Johnston re-ignited the Sidney Crosby trade rumors to Montreal, saying the Canadiens have the assets and should go all-in for him.
The Sidney Crosby-Montreal Canadiens buzz simply won't go away, and it flickered again in the wake of Chris Johnston's latest mailbag in 'The Athletic'.
What Chris Johnston said about the actual trade chatter level at the moment
Asked which centre the Montreal club should chase, Johnston pointed straight at Crosby, saying if the door ever opened even a crack, he's the one the Canadiens should go all-in for. But he also made clear there's very little actual chatter right now.
"The Sidney Crosby trade conjecture has quieted down; but that's the player I think Montreal should go all-in for; there's absolutely no guarantee Crosby opens his mind to the possibility; the Habs also have the assets needed."
- Chris Johnston
- Chris Johnston
Rumors linking Crosby to Montreal have been out there for months, and they always seem to resurface in waves. Every time they do, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas tamps them down. Crosby does, too.
Dubas says nothing has changed as far as big-picture planning is concerned, while Crosby insists he has zero desire to play anywhere else and that he remains committed to Pittsburgh.
Why it doesn't appear that Kyle Dubas would trade Sidney Crosby
Dubas says that Crosby and agent Pat Brisson speak regularly, and a trade simply never comes up. He's even said he would never approach Crosby about waiving his no-move clause, removing any doubt about where management stands.
Still, there's an unavoidable truth: the Penguins' core is getting older, Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, Erik Karlsson, and the big-picture outlook is a chaotic one.
Early returns have been promising for them, but few peg them as contenders well into the season. If things go sideways, the storyline could flip in a hurry.
For now, Crosby in a Canadiens sweater remains more fantasy than possibility. Montreal has the assets to make it real, but the path is tangled with what-ifs. It's a story that won't fully die, but one that likely won't come to life anytime soon.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 27 | 115 ANSWERS Insider Chris Johnston floats bold statement involving Sidney Crosby and Montreal: 'All-in' Do you believe there is any chance at all that Sidney Crosby could end up in Montreal? | ||
| Yes | 13 | 11.3 % |
| No | 102 | 88.7 % |
| List of polls | ||