The Sidney Crosby trade rumors just keep on coming. Crosby may be 37 now, but it’s easy to forget the Pittsburgh Penguins drafted him as a 17-year-old phenom. While August marks the slowdown of the NHL’s free agency frenzy, it never stops the rumor mill, no matter the season or a player’s contract status.
Crosby inked a two-year, $17.4 million extension with the Penguins in September 2024, featuring an $8.7 million AAV and a full no-movement clause. You’d think that would put all trade talk to rest. But at the end of the day, it’s still Sidney Crosby, and when you’re one of the greatest to ever lace them up, speculation follows, no matter how ironclad the contract.
NHL Insider Adds More Speculation to Crosby’s Future
Crosby has spent most of his life playing for the Penguins. The 37-year-old center was drafted No. 1 by Pittsburgh in 2005, and he has since been named among the greatest NHL players of all time, en route to tallying 1,687 points so far.
According to Yahoo Sports, there is some merit that the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, and Colorado Avalanche have been in talks surrounding a Crosby trade. All three franchises made the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs; however, none advanced past the first round.
League insider Chris Johnston (with Sportsnet), who said he does not think Crosby should retire as a Penguin, is adding fuel to the fire.
“I’m still of the mind it’s more likely than not he doesn’t finish in Pittsburgh,” Johnston said on the Steve Dangle Podcast. “But obviously he’s not there today or the trade would already have happened.”
Chris Johnston: Re Sidney Crosby: I’m still of the mind it’s more likely than not he doesn’t finish in Pittsburgh; but obviously he’s not there today or the trade would already have happened – Steve Dangle Podcast (Jul 15)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) July 18, 2025
Crosby has been a six-time All-Star Game participant with the Penguins and was most recently named the captain of Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off. The Pittsburgh Penguins have also qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs 16 times with Sidney Crosby on the team, specifically from 2007 to 2022.
He has hoisted the Stanley Cup three times as captain of the Penguins (he was named captain when he was only 19 years old) and clearly yearns to do so at least one more time before he hangs up his skates.
It’s just a matter of time before league fans learn what team he plans to retire with.
