Sidney Crosby’s future has become one of the top storylines heading into the 2025-26 NHL season.
The longtime Pittsburgh Penguins star and captain is the subject of trade speculation after comments made at the NHL Player Media Tour.
Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, then fueled speculation while speaking to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
Of course, Crosby could very well choose to remain with the Penguins until the end of his two-year contract, which has a full no-movement clause. As Pittsburgh piles up losing seasons, however, the idea that Crosby might play elsewhere is growing more plausible — even if it’s still a long shot.
How realistic is a trade for each team?
This week, The Athletic asked its NHL staff to put teams into four categories — “it’s a strong possibility,” “it’s a maybe,” “there’s a slight chance” and “there’s no way” — based on how possible a deal involving Crosby could be for each club.
Here’s what they said.
Anaheim DucksThere’s no way
Let’s play along and connect a few dots. Mason McTavish remains unsigned amid challenging contract talks. The Ducks, who have repeatedly said they’re out to make the playoffs this season, may now be closer to contention than the Penguins. If they were on the doorstep of the Stanley Cup, I could buy a trade pitch, but only if the McTavish situation went completely south. The Ducks aren’t there yet (or even close at the moment). — Eric Stephens
Boston BruinsThere’s no way
The Bruins do not project to be a Stanley Cup contender. Crosby would have zero desire to play for a team that is not championship quality. — Fluto Shinzawa
Buffalo SabresThere’s no way
If Crosby is leaving Pittsburgh, he’s doing so because he wants to win. It’s hard to imagine Crosby would envision Buffalo, the team with the longest playoff drought in the history of the NHL, as a viable Stanley Cup contender in the near future. He’ll have better options than the Sabres. — Matthew Fairburn
Calgary FlamesThere’s a slight chance
The Flames have cap space, and they even have prospects and draft assets that could work in a trade. However, the Flames, as presently constructed, aren’t enough of a contender to move the needle. — Julian McKenzie
Carolina HurricanesIt’s a maybe
If Crosby wants to go to a contender, Carolina is, along with Colorado, the best fit. He’d give the Hurricanes the 1-2 punch at center they’ve desired, and there would also be a familiar face in the room in Jordan Staal. The two won the Cup in Pittsburgh together in 2009. Carolina has the assets to make the deal, and Crosby would likely love playing for a coach who approached the game as a player in the same way he does. — Cory Lavalette
Chicago BlackhawksThere’s no way
As much as Crosby could be beneficial for Connor Bedard, there’s no way Crosby wants part of this type of rebuild at this stage of his career. The Blackhawks are still probably at least two to three years away from taking a significant step. Plus, the Blackhawks are set on building from within and looking to prioritize opportunities for their young players. As good as Crosby still is, the Blackhawks want Bedard, Frank Nazar and others to develop into star players over the coming years. — Scott Powers
Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby are both from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. (Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)Colorado AvalancheIt’s a maybe
The Avalanche could use another high-end playmaking center and, perhaps most importantly, have a group of players whom Crosby would love to play with. If the Penguins do eventually move him, it feels like Colorado has as good a chance as any team at landing him to pair with his Team Canada teammates Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. — Jesse Granger
Columbus Blue JacketsThere’s a slight chance
Would/should the Blue Jackets be interested? For sure. Would Crosby be willing to join a franchise with zero history of playoff success? Hard to imagine. The tricky thing is, the Blue Jackets, with an impressive mix of young talent and top prospects, including highly coveted centers, could easily put together a package that might entice Penguins GM Kyle Dubas. It stands to reason, though, that Dubas might not want to trade Crosby within the division. — Aaron Portzline
Dallas StarsThere’s a slight chance
I won’t rule it out completely, both because Jim Nill has proven he’ll make the big move and because the money could actually work, even with Thomas Harley and Jason Robertson due for big raises next summer. Not to mention that if Crosby wants to win the Stanley Cup again, Dallas is a heck of a lot closer than, say, Montreal. How fun would a Robertson-Crosby-Mikko Rantanen line be to watch? Let’s be honest, though, it’s highly unlikely. — Mark Lazerus
Detroit Red WingsThere’s a slight chance
I’m sure the Red Wings would love to trade for Crosby. He’s certainly getting up there in age, but he’s still an elite offensive player and brings the kind of winning ingredients they need to get over the hump. Detroit also has the prospect capital to make an intriguing offer. But while the Red Wings are closer to competing than Pittsburgh, they still haven’t broken through. Is that a compelling enough situation for Crosby in his final playing years? — Max Bultman
Edmonton OilersThere’s a slight chance
The Oilers are a Cup contender with arguably the two best players in the league. If Crosby wants to go hunting for a fourth title, there aren’t many better places to go in the short term than Edmonton. The problem is the Oilers are tight against the cap and are low on high-end futures, something the Penguins would want. Oh yeah, there’s also that contract situation with their captain. — Daniel Nugent-Bowman
Florida PanthersIt’s a strong possibility
If Crosby ever decides to leave Pittsburgh, he’s going to be in the driver’s seat on where he’ll be going. Considering how Florida is the place everyone seems to want to be these days, joining Nova Scotian pal Brad Marchand to try and win another Cup feels like it will be high on his list. Do they need him? Not particularly! But when has that stopped Bill Zito? — James Mirtle
Los Angeles KingsThere’s no way
If the Kings were in a spot where Crosby was the final necessary piece, it could be a match for both sides. They’ve got Quinton Byfield set to be the heir apparent to Anže Kopitar, though, and this is a team already full of veterans that can’t get beyond the first round. It’s also one staring at an uncertain future in a post-Kopitar (and Drew Doughty) world. As great as Crosby still is, they need a true A-list player who’s younger to go alongside Byfield. — Eric Stephens
Minnesota WildThere’s a slight chance
Bill Guerin, Crosby’s 2009 Cup champion teammate, is here. Alex Goligoski, his 2009 Cup champion teammate, is here. Carl Hagelin, his 2016 and 2017 Cup champion teammate, is here. Marc-Andre Fleury, one of his best buds and favorite teammates of all time, is here. He went to Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn., and anybody who has ever been to Minnesota and lived here wants to come back late in life. OHHHHH, and Jack Johnson — one of Crosby’s longest friends and former Shattuck teammates — is in Minnesota on a PTO. It makes all the sense in the world to give Johnson a contract … if only to convince Crosby to come here. Seems like Crosby to Minnesota is a no-brainer and done deal, doesn’t it? — Michael Russo
Sidney Crosby grew up a Montreal Canadiens fan. (David Kirouac / Imagn Images)Montreal CanadiensIt’s a strong possibility
The Canadiens have reached a point in their rebuild where they almost have too many prospects and not enough potential spots in their lineup in the coming years. That pipeline would provide a major boost for the Penguins’ rebuild if Crosby were to ever ask out, and the ascending nature of the Canadiens could satisfy Crosby’s desire to win. It would also be a fairy tale ending to his career to lead his boyhood team to a Stanley Cup. It just fits in so many ways. — Arpon Basu
Nashville PredatorsThere’s a slight chance
Bringing Crosby in would actually fit in quite well with the Predators’ geriatric leanings. This is a team, after all, of 40ish stars who have seen better days. The Preds sure do have a need in the middle, and, technically, they’re in “win now” mode. Still, this is very close to a “no way” proposition. This would be too wild and risky for Barry Trotz. Right? — Joe Rexrode
New Jersey DevilsThere’s a slight chance
The Devils are an interesting team because they are in their contention window, but there’s been next to no smoke about a potential Crosby pairing. It’s hard to see that happening, though surely Tom Fitzgerald would be interested if the Penguins’ captain put out any sign of interest. — Peter Baugh
New York IslandersThere’s no way
Listen, if Crosby wants to go to Long Island, the Islanders should do whatever it takes to make it happen. That is true for every single team in the league, considering his game-breaking ability even at this point in his career. That being said, the Islanders are retooling, so their timelines really don’t line up. It would make zero sense for Crosby to leave the rebuilding Penguins for another retooling team. — Shayna Goldman
New York RangersThere’s a slight chance
If Crosby were ever to leave Pittsburgh, it’s hard to see him picking the Rangers unless they appear ready to be a true contender. Last year cast doubt on that possibility. The only cases for the Rangers are that they are a legacy franchise and, perhaps more importantly, have a coach he’s comfortable with in Mike Sullivan. It’s hard to see that being enough, especially since he’ll have total autonomy over his situation. — Peter Baugh
Ottawa SenatorsThere’s no way
The Senators’ young core still has room to grow, and it’s only now getting a taste of what being in the playoffs is like. Adding Crosby would ramp up their reputation across the league. The thing is, the Senators don’t possess many assets to make a deal work. Their pipeline isn’t bursting at the seams with prospects who could replace whichever roster players they’d have to offload. We don’t need to remind Sens fans that they don’t have a first-rounder in 2026. — Julian McKenzie
Philadelphia FlyersThere’s no way
Crosby does have a great relationship with Flyers coach Rick Tocchet, so maybe …. OK, sorry, I’ll stop. There’s a better chance Crosby ends up playing for the Chicago Cubs. — Kevin Kurz
Pittsburgh PenguinsThere’s a slight chance
Speaking on the other side of this exercise, Pat Brisson’s recent comments mean that I can’t say that there is no chance Crosby will ever be traded. Still, it’s very unlikely. He is surely frustrated by the state of the Penguins, but his loyalty runs deeper than people realize. — Josh Yohe
San Jose SharksThere’s no way
The “no way” aspect is probably more about Crosby choosing the Sharks than the club wanting him. Who wouldn’t want No. 87? But this is a team that’s still at least two years away and already has the purported next Crosby in Macklin Celebrini, whom he adores. Plus, San Jose is going to have to pony up big time for Celebrini’s next contract. Still, having Crosby directly mentor Celebrini would be a great storyline. — Eric Stephens
Seattle KrakenThere’s no way
The Kraken aren’t close enough to contending to be a serious pursuer for Crosby, and it’s difficult to see why Seattle would appeal to Crosby specifically as a potential destination. — Thomas Drance
St. Louis BluesThere’s no way
There’s a small connection between Crosby and the Blues, in that general manager Doug Armstrong has been in charge of Team Canada for many years, and Crosby, of course, has been a key cog for the team. A phone call from Armstrong would likely get returned, and mutual respect would be given. In the end, though, if Crosby is leaving Pittsburgh, he’ll want to play on a team that’s closer to winning than the Blues currently are. Unless, that is, Blues captain Brayden Schenn could talk his good friend Crosby into coming to town. — Jeremy Rutherford
Tampa Bay LightningThere’s a slight chance
It really all comes down to what Crosby wants; if he wants an Eastern Conference contender, the Lightning have to be a part of the conversation. Sure, they don’t have many assets or cap space to make a trade happen, but never say never in Tampa Bay. General manager Julien Brisebois has a knack for taking big swings and shaking up his roster when the opportunity arises. — Shayna Goldman
Toronto Maple LeafsThere’s a slight chance
The right answer is probably closer to “there’s no way” than “slight chance,” but it’s hard to rule it out entirely given the player in question and how perfectly he would fill a need for the Leafs. The big problem: The Leafs almost certainly lack the assets to win a Crosby sweepstakes. They don’t have a first-round pick in the next two drafts and lack premium prospects. So it’s not clear what they could do to entice Kyle Dubas. — Jonas Siegel
Utah MammothThere’s no way
The Mammoth are a fun, up-and-coming team, but it’s hard to see them being near the top of Crosby’s list, if he ever were to consider moving. Utah isn’t an established Cup contender, and the organization doesn’t have many players on it who would have an exceptionally close tie or friendship with Crosby. — Harman Dayal
Vancouver CanucksIt’s a maybe
Does it make sense for the Canucks to pay a retail price to acquire a 38-year-old center at this stage of their team-building cycle? Probably not. Can we write it off entirely? I don’t think so, not given that the club has significant center needs, would be motivated to make a splash to send a message to Quinn Hughes and is managed by Jim Rutherford (who was the Penguins GM for the back-to-back Cup wins in 2016 and 2017). There’s also Rutherford and Kyle Dubas’ history of making mega deals with one another to consider. — Thomas Drance
Vegas Golden KnightsThere’s a slight chance
If there’s one thing I’ve learned covering the Golden Knights over the last eight years, it’s to never completely count them out of acquiring a star player. They don’t have the cap space, but this team can get creative. They also don’t have a need at center, so it’s unlikely, but not impossible. — Jesse Granger
Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are longtime rivals. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)Washington CapitalsThere’s no way
There are two types of people reading this. One views the idea of Crosby setting up Alex Ovechkin as too beautiful to contemplate, and one views it as too repulsive to consider. Either way, literally no outcome is less realistic. The odds are better that Wayne Gretzky unretires and re-breaks the goal record. — Sean Gentille
Winnipeg JetsThere’s a slight chance
Crosby and Jonathan Toews have won two Olympic gold medals together. For much of the 2010s, they were thought of as two of the most complete centers in the world. Knowing that Crosby would have his choice of destination should Pittsburgh ever move him, his relationship with Toews, Winnipeg’s status among Cup contenders and the Jets’ favorable cap position could offer glimmers of hope for fans. Winnipeg is not most players’ first choice, though, and it’s hard to see Crosby’s flight path including a late-career pitstop with the Jets. — Murat Ates
(Top photo: China Wong / NHLI via Getty Images)