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'The chances of seeing Sidney Crosby in a blue-white-and-red jersey will be very, very high.'

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 12:59 PM ET

“Max, do you think Sidney Crosby will come and play in Montreal?”

If I haven’t been asked the question 50 times since the start of the off-season – notably on golf courses in the Montreal area – I haven’t been asked it once.

And my answer is always the same: Sidney Crosby will start next season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Should the Pens languish at the bottom of the overall standings after the Olympics, Crosby – like Evgeni Malkin – will evaluate all his options.

Reminder: Malkin will be completing the final year of his contract, and Crosby, the penultimate. Malkin is a year older than Crosby.

If one says yes to a potential trade offer, the other is likely to do the same.

At the last amateur draft, held in Los Angeles, the word on the floor was that Crosby might ask Kyle Dubas to trade him to Colorado in February/March, to join his good friend Nathan MacKinnon.

But this morning on X, David Ettedgui suggests otherwise. With bold, paragraphs and asterisks..

According to the former agent, the chances of Sidney Crosby joining the Canadiens next summer are very, very high. They’d even be higher than those of the Avalanche.

The rumours of Sidney Crosby coming to Montreal: my analysis

There are many rumours about Sidney Crosby’s possible arrival in Montreal. Here’s my analysis of the situation, including timeframes and the likelihood of it happening.

The Habs, a destination… pic.twitter.com/T2yXY60LiC

– David Ettedgui (@EttedguiDavid) July 15, 2025

To do so, however, would require..

1. The Penguins don’t win the Gavin McKenna lottery, otherwise Crosby might be tempted by the idea of mentoring young McKenna as Mario Lemieux did for him.

2. The Canadiens have yet to acquire an additional top-six center.

3. The Habs will have a (much) better season than the one just ended, so much so that it will be logical to think that the Montrealers will be aiming for top honors in 2026-27.

That’s a lot of ifs, but we can afford to believe.

I’d add a fourth if: Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton will have to agree to pay something significant to acquire Crosby, who may only have one more season of hockey to offer the Montreal club. Yes, the Habs would have the assets to acquire Crosby, but would they be willing to give them up for just 82 of Crosby’s 84 games? Damn good question..

And the more I think about it, the more there has to be a fifth if: Crosby will have to be healthy by then.

Extension

– I wonder if Mario Lemieux’s intention to buy the Penguins might force Crosby to stay in Pittsburgh. With shares in the franchise, like..

– I also wonder if the Habs might be better off targeting Evgeni Malkin at the deadline, especially given the Russian reputation he’s building. Although Malkin is likely to leave the NHL next summer..

– Crosby with Demidov and Laine (or Dach), that’s a whole second line!

This article first appeared on Dose.ca and was syndicated with permission.

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