Rantanen Deal Stirs Speculation of Monster Sidney Crosby Trade

The NHL trade market was given a massive jolt on Friday night when a blockbuster trade saw Mikko Rantanen, Taylor Hall, Martin Necas, and others moved in a three-team trade. The noise of that trade only grew when insiders and fans tried to wrap their heads around why each team made the deal. It wasn’t long before the buzz of a potential mega trade that might fill a hole in Colorado started to surface. The chatter was that maybe Sidney Crosby would be traded to the Colorado Avalanche.

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The speculation gained steam specifically when the Avalanche sent Mikko Rantanen to Carolina, leading some to wonder if Colorado might have something else in the works. Considering they created a hole at the second-line center position and Crosby is great friends with Nathan MacKinnon, dots were being connected. Greg Wyshynksi of ESPN tweeted, “Everyone curious what Avs are cooking at 2C with assets + space.”

However, veteran NHL insider Chris Johnston quickly shut down the Crosby-to-Colorado narrative.

Unless something changes — and at this point I have absolutely ZERO reason to believe it will — Sidney Crosby isn't being traded out of Pittsburgh. He's an untouchable as far as the #pens are concerned, plus he's got a no-movement clause and no desire to be dealt.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 25, 2025

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“Unless something changes—and at this point, I have absolutely ZERO reason to believe it will—Sidney Crosby isn’t being traded out of Pittsburgh,” Johnston stated. He emphasized Crosby was untouchable and the Penguins had no plans to move him. So too, Crosby has a no-movement clause, which gives the captain full control over his future.

That hasn’t necessarily stopped the rumors from swirling, seeing as few expected the Rantanen deal to materialize on Friday, seemingly out of nowhere. (It wasn’t, as Wyshysnki says the Avs had been talking Rantanen deal for some time).

Highly Improbable Trade Brings Crosby to the Avalanche

There is a great deal of uncertainty in Pittsburgh, but Crosby has never publicly expressed any desire to leave. Even as the team is going through what has been rumored as a “fire sale” — which GM Kyle Dubas denied –, Crosby has always been the constant.

It makes sense that the Avalanche would love to have him and if there was a team that Crosby would waive for, Colorado might be it. Still, the chances of that happening are extremely low.

Will the Avalanche do something big? They might. The most logical assumption is that it could be one of J.T. Miller or Elias Pettersson coming to the Avs if they look to make more moves. Neither of those names are confirmed as linked to the Avalanche as of yet.

Next: Rantanen Traded to Carolina in Blockbuster Three-Way Deal