Colorado Avalanche

Player Poll Lists 2 Teams as Landing Spots for Crosby If He Leaves Penguins

Explore the latest Crosby player poll results. Will Sidney Crosby remain with the Penguins or move to another team?

by
NHL Trade Talk
December 10, 2025

The idea of Sidney Crosby eventually leaving the Pittsburgh Penguins has gained traction in recent seasons, despite the NHL superstar saying he has no plans to do so. Staying loyal to the Penguins has been his mantra, and it’s the only NHL city he’s ever known. Still, fans and players want to see him take another run at the Stanley Cup before he retires, and it’s unclear if Crosby will get that chance where he is.

A recent player poll conducted by The Athletic asked questions about where certain stars, like Connor McDavid and Crosby would wind up in the coming seasons. The results were intriguing.

Two teams were mentioned as fits for Crosby, but ultimately, more players (73.7%) voted that Crosby will remain a Penguin.

The Canadiens and Avalanche Got a Few Votes

The Montreal Canadiens received 12.7% of the votes, while the Colorado Avalanche got 11.9%. Those are the two teams most frequently linked to Crosby, should he decide to make another run.

Sidney Crosby squashed rumors he’s thinking about a trade from the Penguins, and he responded to comments from his agent that surprised him.

“I think he’s a pretty loyal (guy) and seems like a guy who’s going to spend his whole career in one place,” said one player who voted. “There’s also been greats who move on and play in other spots, but just the way he comes off and presents himself, he seems like a guy who’s going to be in the same spot forever. And there’s the superstitions, too. He seems like a pretty superstitious guy.”

Another said, “I think he’s done it all. And he just likes Pittsburgh. I know they’re not as close as some other teams, but I think he’s really comfortable there. And he wants to be like Mario (Lemieux) and finish his career there.”

One player, who clearly doesn’t want to get hammered with tampering charges, noted, “If he wants to come to (my team), he should feel free to.”

Montreal and Colorado have been the favorites since trade speculation began. “I don’t think Crosby will ever leave,” said one player. “But it would be Montreal if he did.”

“To play with (Nathan) MacKinnon,” one player said, would be putting two very good friends together for one final run.

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