Colorado Avalanche
Insider Notes Sidney Crosby Trade to Avalanche Could “Make Sense”
Darren Dreger of TSN said he could see a scenario where Sidney Crosby tells the Pittsburgh Penguins he’d welcome a trade.
Just days after a new GM and President of Hockey Operations were hired in Pittsburgh, there is talk that the Penguins top star might be alright with a trade that would send him to a Stanley Cup contender. The talk suggests that both Ron Hextall and Brian Burke will have conversations with Sidney Crosby and that as part of those conversations, Crosby may tell both executives he’d be ok with a deal to send him elsewhere.
Related: Penguins Tried to Re-Acquire Marc-Andre Fleury While Hiring a New GM [Report]
The prevailing thought seems to be that the Penguins will try to build a contender around Crosby and are not looking to trade the 33-year-old. But, if the Penguins are not contenders, NHL insider Darren Dreger told TSN radio he wouldn’t be surprised if Crosby said he’d welcome a trade to a Stanley Cup contender or a club on the rise.
Dreger suggested that Crosby’s legacy as one of the best Penguins ever is already set in stone. But, he could add to that legacy by being unselfish and telling the hockey club they can move him if doing so gets them the pieces they need to properly rebuild and speed up the process of being competitive over the long-term. Dreger threw out the Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers as two teams that could make sense. He said, “The Avalanche make a lot of sense to me, by the way.”
Is This Really Possible?
It’s not likely Crosby gets moved and most believe he’ll retire as a member of the Penguins. But, if he’s alright with a trade and is interested in playing with someone like Nathan MacKinnon, depending on the return Colorado is willing to give, perhaps there’s a chance this happens.
There’s virtually no way it happens this season and the offseason is the earliest the Penguins might consider doing something as it pertains to Crosby’s future, but there could be big changes in Pittsburgh if the team is not competitive this season.
One thing to keep in mind… the Avalanche also have to be willing participants and the ask for Crosby won’t be insignificant. Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now suggested the Avs don’t do a deal for Crosby if the ask is Alex Newhook or Bowen Byram. He notes that while Crosby would look great as a No. 2 center, that would be the Avs mortgaging their future.
Dater does say:
But, I don’t know, just spitballing here, maybe that’s doable if, say, new Pens GM Ron Hextall and team president Brian Burke took [Nazem] Kadri and his $4.5 million in return, and maybe an Erik Johnson and/or a Ryan Graves? Maybe J.T. Compher to the Pens, along with EJ and/or Graves and a first? I might do that.
Next: Hextall Turned Down Excellent Job Offer to be Penguins New GM
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