Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby once again shut down speculation about his future with the only franchise he's ever known, making it clear he won't address such questions in the future.
Crosby spoke about the speculation that emerged following Friday's three-team trade between the Carolina Hurricanes, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Colorado Avalanche, refusing to entertain the latest round of rumors linking him to the latter.
“I know how speculation works; everybody’s looking to talk about different things, different scenarios,” Crosby told DK Pittsburgh Sports' Taylor Haase on Tuesday. “I can’t control that. I don’t know where that comes from. I don’t think that it’s something I’m going to discuss every time someone speculates something. I’m not going to answer it every time that happens.”
The latest round of speculation started after the Hurricanes acquired Mikko Rantanen in a blockbuster trade on Friday, fueling "baseless rumors," as labeled by The Athletic's Josh Yohe, that the Avalanche might be positioning themselves to acquire Crosby.
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) looks on .
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Athletic's Chris Johnston quoted a league source as saying: “What else is Colorado up to? They’ve opened up more cap space and there’s no way they are stopping here.”
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman added a little note on the possibility of Pittsburgh trading Crosby, something he didn't entirely rule out.
“I know there’s a lot of fan/media hope for Sidney Crosby in Colorado this season, but I’d be shocked,” Friedman wrote. “I’ve been shocked before, but that would really do it.”
The Penguins’ struggles this season — sitting 15th in the Eastern Conference — have only added to the speculation that the 37-year-old captain might seek a final Stanley Cup run elsewhere.
Crosby, however, reiterated his focus remains in Pittsburgh while continuing to lead the Penguins in scoring with 55 points in 53 games this season.
"It’s more than just the losses; it’s all the stuff that comes with it," Crosby said. "It’s the trickle-down effect that comes with that. That’s the way it is.
“But understanding that, I know that all my energy and all my focus is toward helping us and doing the best we can. I can't control any of that other stuff."
Crosby signed a two-year, $17.4 million extension with the Penguins on Sept. 16 and has repeatedly stated his intent to remain with the franchise.
“I don’t worry (about) that stuff,” Crosby told The Athletic’s Rob Rossi. “I’ve said I’m going to always be here. I just signed a new contract to be here. I’ve been very upfront about it — I’m a Pittsburgh Penguin.”
