The Pittsburgh Penguins got off to a rocky preseason start. Despite winning their latest matchup against the Detroit Red Wings, the franchise had already dropped consecutive games to the Montreal Canadiens and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
With each loss, rumors about Sidney Crosby’s future in Pittsburgh grow louder. After their latest game, fans speculated that the reigning champion Florida Panthers could be his preferred destination. However, NHL fans delivered a harsh reality check to such speculation.
What Did NHL Fans Say in Sidney Crosby-to-Florida Trade Rumors?
Since the start of the summer, GM Kyle Dubas had made it crystal clear that he would trade any veteran player, as long as the price was right. But while the Penguins’ management was ready for a complete rebuild, captain and franchise icon Sidney Crosby remained firmly off the trade list.
However, recent comments from his agent, Pat Brisson, made countless fans question whether the franchise legend was truly considering the possibility of leaving Pittsburgh. And while Crosby himself has made it clear that he has no plans to leave the Penguins, some fans remained skeptical about his commitment.
JFresh from Elite Prospects believes that the Panthers are a viable option for Crosby to move to. He tweeted, “Crosby joining the back-to-back champ Panthers would be so crummy. It’d better not happen. To Montreal or Colorado 1000x before that.”
But NHL fans didn’t let it slide, as one fan wrote, “I mean, they have no first-round picks till 2028, so it’s probably not going to happen.” The fan pointed out that with the Panthers lacking quality draft assets, the Penguins would be unlikely to agree to any trade proposal.
With Crosby’s $8.7 million AAV, it would be extremely difficult for the Panthers to clear the necessary cap space without sacrificing some core players. On top of that, it remains highly unlikely that either the Penguins or Crosby himself would actually agree to such a trade.
Meanwhile, another fan expressed their frustration, writing, “JFresh, not you too… I’m so done with this conversation. He’s retiring as a Penguin. Dunno why that’s so surprising.” The fan was disappointed that even analysts like JFresh were entertaining these trade scenarios.
He believes Crosby leaving Pittsburgh is impossible. Meanwhile, another fan explained why the trade logistics would fail. “It would probably start with Samo and/or Lundell, so I doubt that happens,” they wrote, referring to the young core players Florida would need to sacrifice.
Meanwhile, one fan predicted that the Panthers’ championship window might already be over by the trade deadline, eliminating any appeal for Crosby. “They won’t be in a playoff spot at the deadline. No reason for Crosby to go there,” they wrote.
They believe that Florida’s back-to-back titles may have come at the cost of its future competitiveness. However, while all these speculations run wild, Crosby himself has made no comments linking him to either Florida or any other team.
Never count out Bill Zito, the guy is an evil genius