Contract exposes trade possibility for Sidney Crosby per insider

Earlier this month, Sidney Crosby signed a two-year extension with the Penguins for his usual $8.7M US per season, extending him through the 2026-27 season. It is a well-known fact that the captain is grossly underpaid, accepting a huge pay cut in an effort to help the Pens win “both now and in the future.”

However, insider Pierre LeBrun of the Athletic shared on his new French podcast Radar something else about the deal, mentioning how Crosby not only requested less term possibly in order to ask for a trade to a contender if the Penguins once again fell to be competitive in the postseason.

This is what LeBrun explained about the contract, translated from French:

“The Penguins were ready to give him three or four years in the contract and it was Crosby who said: two is enough. Many would have accepted their offer if they had been in his position. With the deal, many people believe the rumours of Crosby going elsewhere in the league were over, but I’m not so sure about it.

“The Penguins submitted their first offer in June and he signed in September. There have been quite a few conversations about the future of the team. Pittsburgh missed the playoffs twice in a row.”

“If he was on the air with us, Crosby would probably say 100% that he will end his career with the Penguins. I’m not predicting the future, but if they become a 27th, 28th, 29th place club in the league within two years, the reality is that he and his agent Pat Brisson know that “A trade is a possibility, if Crosby wants it,” LeBrun explained.

Coming off a 42-goal, 94-point campaign that saw him finish tied for 12th in the league scoring race, Crosby knows he can still play and the thought of having another shot at a championship becomes crucial. While he would love to win a fourth one in Pittsburgh with his close friends Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

Crosby trails only Mario Lemieux on the franchise’ career chart in goals (592), assists (1,004) and points (1,596). Lemieux (690-1,033-1,723) is the only NHL No. 1 pick who has recorded more points than Crosby.

While his records and championships are all with Pittsburgh, the short term on his contract could mean that a move is still possible if winning the Stanley Cup isn’t in the Penguins’ future.