Could Capitals cause Penguins' Sidney Crosby to change mind about trade desires?

Roughly one week after agent Pat Brisson suggested that client Sidney Crosby could submit a trade request to the Pittsburgh Penguins amid the club's ongoing rebuild, Crosby publicly insisted that Pittsburgh "is where I want to be." 

The situation understandably left Penguins fans scratching their heads regarding Crosby's mindset. For a piece published Tuesday, Penguins insider Josh Yohe of The Athletic addressed what's going on behind the scenes for rebuilding Pittsburgh.

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"The Washington Capitals' stunning success last season caught Crosby’s attention," Yohe wrote. "He saw the way the Capitals went from rebuilding to instant contender, and I believe he’d like a similar plan in Pittsburgh. ...I’ve long believed that Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are historically a lot like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in that one is always keeping track of the other. They don’t say it, but when you talk with players close to them, you get the sense that it’s the case. Crosby knows Ovechkin, his biggest rival, is enjoying his final NHL seasons on a very good team, while Crosby is not."

Yohe was referring to Washington's surprising first-place finish in the Eastern Conference standings with 111 points (51-22-9) last season. To compare, the Penguins ended the 2024-25 campaign in 13th place in the East and on 80 points (34-36-12). 

As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Penguins at +600 odds to qualify for the playoffs. On Monday, Crosby acknowledged that "the expectations from the outside are pretty low" for the current Pittsburgh roster. 

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"Brisson would at least like to see the team rebuild more quickly — perhaps taking some more chances in free agency to try to compete sooner," Yohe added about the Penguins. "With his comments, Brisson seemed to be publicly pressuring [Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas]. Crosby is 38. The Penguins are in the early stages of a long-game rebuild. The clock is ticking, and Brisson is well aware."

In theory, the two-year contract extension Crosby inked in September 2024 that runs through the 2026-27 season should've sent a message to Dubas about accelerating a needed roster rebuild. It appears there is at least a chance that Crosby could play his final NHL game with a club other than the Penguins if he isn't satisfied with the direction of the franchise.