Canadiens Analyst Is Very Confident Sidney Crosby Will Be Traded

Sidney Crosby has been connected to the Montreal Canadiens his whole career, and that’s never going to change. Growing up as a die-hard Habs fan, his admiration for the team, the city, and the organization is no secret.

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Since the Penguins make their lone trip to the Bell Centre on Saturday night, chatter about whether Crosby could someday suit up for his childhood team has reignited.

That speculation has run rampant at times in recent years, given the state of the Penguins, and now that they’ve unraveled after a strong start to the season — currently riding a seven-game losing streak — those conversations are resurfacing.

Some have suggested that Montreal’s recent move to acquire Phillip Danault, spending a 2026 second-round pick and taking on a $5.5 million cap hit, might shut the door on any dream of Crosby to the Canadiens. However, analyst Tony Marinaro is certainly not willing to rule it out, and if the Pens are poised to miss the postseason for a fourth straight season, he’s quite confident that Crosby will get traded.

Marinaro said:

“The talk of Crosby, the talk of Crosby, the talk of Crosby. When there’s smoke, there’s fire. I know a gentleman very close to Crosby and his people, and about a year and a half ago, he pulled me aside, and he said to me don’t be surprised if Sidney Crosby finishes his career with the Montreal Canadiens… The only chance it becomes another possibility again is once again if they don’t make the playoffs. So if they’re out of a playoff spot come trade deadline and teams have got better, and they’re on a downward spiral, I bet the house that he’s going to get traded. I bet the house,”

Crosby is in the first season of the two-year, $17.4 million extension he signed with the Penguins in 2024. At 38 years old, he remains one of the most productive players in the world, having racked up 35 points (19 goals, 16 assists) through the first 33 games of the 2025-26 campaign. 

Are the Stars Aligning for Sidney Crosby to Montreal?

What continues to stand in the way of Crosby leaving Pittsburgh isn’t just his loyalty to the Penguins, but also to longtime teammates Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

That said, circumstances are changing. Despite still playing at a high level, Malkin appears to be closing in on retirement, while Letang’s game has fallen off in a big way in recent years. Perhaps that will lead to one of the most competitive athletes in the world reconsidering his future.

If it ever does come to that point, then Montreal would undoubtedly be the favorite to land Crosby. The superstar center will hold almost all of the control over any potential move, meaning the Canadiens would be well-positioned as frontrunners should he decide to chase a Stanley Cup.

Crosby’s preference has always been to ride out into the sunset with the only NHL franchise he’s ever known, but that just might not be in the cards, so if he intends to keep playing into his 40s, it’s hard to imagine speculation around his future won’t continue to surface.

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