Penguins' Sidney Crosby makes big statement about future amid trade rumors

Sidney Crosby raised eyebrows when he and his agent suggested earlier in September that the superstar captain could be open to a trade amid the Pittsburgh Penguins' ongoing roster rebuild. 

On Monday, Crosby seemed to slam the door shut on possibly playing for a different NHL club before he rides off into the sunset of retirement. 

Does Sidney Crosby still want to be in Pittsburgh?

"This is where I want to be," Crosby responded when asked about his future, per Brandon Karafilis of the Penguins' website. "I love it here… I talk about the first day, and you think about first impressions. I didn't know a lot about Pittsburgh prior to being drafted, and I showed up at the airport and could barely move. The support that I felt from day one, the relationships that I formed here, the memories, the teammates, the fans. I mean, you go down the list. I'm so grateful and thankful that I've had the opportunity to play here as long as I have. And I think anyone who knows me knows what the city means to me and how special it is."

Crosby has featured only for the Penguins since he made his NHL debut in October 2005, and he inked a two-year contract extension in September 2024 that runs through the 2026-27 season. That said, Crosby's agent hinted during a recent chat with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that the 38-year-old asking to be traded to an advertised contender could become a "possibility" because of the current state of the Pittsburgh roster. 

As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Penguins at +600 betting odds to make the playoffs for the upcoming campaign. In reality, Pittsburgh is almost certainly at least one solid offseason away from being part of postseason conversations during the spring. 

Sidney Crosby addresses certain narratives about desires

"I'm more than happy to address it, but I think that there's a ton of narratives out there that didn't come from me," Crosby said when asked about the comments made by agent Pat Brisson. "So, it's kind of hard to keep answering questions about all these hypothetical situations that didn't necessarily come from me. So, that's the best way I can answer it."

In the article published on Sept. 9, LeBrun was sure to point out that "Crosby for sure only sees himself as a Penguin for life." That may be the case, but Crosby made it known on Monday that he isn't a fan of punting on any season. 

"I would say the expectations from the outside are pretty low," Crosby acknowledged regarding what's being said and written about the 2025-26 Penguins. "That doesn't change my approach or our approach as far as trying to go out there every night and win games. That’s how I look at it. We've had years where the expectations have been through the roof, and you have to manage them, and when they're maybe a little bit lower than you'd expect, then you have to find a way to manage that, too."

Crosby grew up a Montreal Canadiens fan and was often linked with that club before September began. He may be committed to staying with the Penguins for now, but it remains to be seen if he'll change his mind at some point after the 2026 Winter Olympics wrap up.