The Pittsburgh Penguins have started the season 6-9-2 including a terrible loss to the Dallas Stars that saw them give up six goals in the first period. The team has looked lifeless in most of their losses and despite having an improved roster, the Penguins are likely heading for another year of selling at the trade deadline.

Reports have indicated that Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas has made calls to teams and is talking through some decisions, but a fire sale isn’t taking place. The Penguins did trade Lars Eller back to the Washington Capitals for a couple of draft picks, but Eller has been on the trade block since last season.

Combine the Penguins’ poor start with the idea of a teardown and one key name will always pop up: Sidney Crosby. Even in his 20th NHL season, Crosby is still playing at the top of his game and climbing some historical ladders.

It didn’t take long for pundits and analysts to once again discuss the idea of Crosby leaving the Penguins, something that won’t happen, but the talking heads will beg for.

“Shouldn’t [Dubas] be open for business at this point? Shouldn’t he be tearing this down?” Jay Onrait asked on TSN. “And then there’s all this talk about Crosby. Could you actually move him?”

Onrait understands that Crosby has no interest in moving and the Penguins have no interest in moving Crosby, but what if things keep getting worse?

“I know he wants to stay… but could you convince him?”

Through most of the 2023-24 season, analysts were talking about the idea of Crosby being delt out of Pittsburgh. He was about to enter the final year of his contract and the Penguins didn’t appear to be getting any better any time soon.

Crosby signed his extension during the offseason briefly putting those talks to rest. Now that the Penguins appear to be back in the mud, it’s almost certain those discussions will return.

“I was saying it last year and I feel like I got to be louder than ever,” Brian Hayes said on TSN’s Overdrive. “You got to get him out of there.”

Hayes also understands Crosby is locked in and doesn’t want to leave, but he and many others just want to see one of the greatest players of all time go out on top.

It’s that hope for Crosby to continue adding to his legacy that will drive so much of the conversation. People want to see him win more Stanley Cups while the Penguins likely won’t give him that chance.

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