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Sidney Crosby rumor watch, Avalanche trade creates $8.7M cap space, Penguins on alert
Photo credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Sidney Crosby talk spikes after a Colorado Avalanche trade created $8.7M in cap space, and Pittsburgh can feel the heat.
Colorado moved Samuel Girard out on Tuesday. The return was defenseman Brett Kulak, plus Colorado sent a 2028 second-round pick.
Girard is 27. He was drafted in 2016, second round, by the Nashville Predators.
The fun part is the math. Colorado's current cap space now sits at $8,741,926, basically the Crosby number.
Crosby's cap hit is $8.7 million. His deal runs through 2026-27.
On a Penguins site, you have to say it out loud. That is exactly how rumors start.
Nathan MacKinnon and Crosby are close, and they train together back home.
Sidney Crosby and Colorado Avalanche rumors hit Pittsburgh
Pens fans are tired of being a punchline, but this one still makes your stomach drop.
From Colorado's side, the fit is obvious. Add Crosby behind MacKinnon and the man advantage gets scary fast.
From Pittsburgh's side, it is complicated. Crosby is still the heartbeat, and the room follows him.
A trade would also be a signal. It would tell everyone the Penguins are picking a new timeline.
But cap space alone is not a plan. Colorado would still need the player to want it, and Pittsburgh to even listen.
For now, treat it like what it is, loud smoke after a clean transaction.
Still, keep an eye on the next headline. The numbers line up too perfectly to ignore.
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