Sidney Crosby gets real about the Jake Guentzel trade.

The Pittsburgh Penguins made a major, franchise-altering, type of move ahead of the National Hockey League's trade deadline this week when they sent forward Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes for a package of picks and players.

The move, inarguably the biggest of Kyle Dubas' tenure since taking over as president of hockey operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins, has already been heavily scrutinized and I believe it would be an understatement to suggest that many are not happy with the trade. Some believe that Guentzel should have remained a Penguin while others feel that the return secured by Dubas wasn't enough for such a talented forward, but the real question is how do the rest of the Penguins feel about it?

Following the trade, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby spoke to reporters and did not seem to be the least bit happy about the situation. It is important to add the context of the Penguins coming off of a brutal 6-0 loss at the hands of rivals the Washington Capitals, which certainly could have colored Crosby's mood during these questions.

Crosby spoke very highly of his now former teammate.

"He's a great player, a great teammate, a friend," said Crosby. "I think he did everything he possibly could during his time here. It was a privilege to play with him during the course of that time."

When asked about what type of message management was sending to the locker room with this move, a locker room currently fighting for a spot in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, a frustrated Crosby seemed at a loss for words.

"I don't know," said Crosby. "That's probably a better question for them."

In spite of the fact that he has been in the NHL for all of his adult life, Crosby admitted that this situation wasn't one he had encountered before.

"No I wouldn't say it is," said Crosby. "It's a new experience for sure."

It definitely doesn't sound like it was a positive experience for the Penguins captain.