Few things if any in the world of Pittsburgh professional sports seem as sure or set as the sight of Sidney Crosby taking the ice in his iconic No. 87 jersey.
Our captain has been equal parts brilliant, dynamic and marvelously consistent over the course of his 20 seasons sporting the skating Penguins logo.
Despite occasional speculation to the contrary, especially by the Canadian media, it’s seemed pretty much set in stone that Sid would follow in the skate tracks of his former landlord, Mario Lemieux, and retire as a Penguin.
Then Sid and his agent, Pat Brisson, fanned flames to the contrary, unintentionally or otherwise, during recent conversations with TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun. Especially the desire of a certain storied hockey market to see Sid don the fabled rouge, blanc et bleu.
I get it,” Crosby said of the links to the Canadiens. “Trust me, growing up a Montréal fan and being from not too far from there, I understand how passionate they are. You know whether it’s those experiences or guys that I’ve played with that have played there, or playing there in the playoffs or 4 Nations — all these different things — I get it.
“I remember — I think it was my first or second year in the league — and I was in Montréal for a CCM thing in like June. And they were already projecting the lines for training camp in September. I was like, ‘This is wild. I’ve never heard anything like this. They’re so into it.’
“And I get it why that would come up and that sort of thing (speculation). It doesn’t make it any easier when you’re losing to hear those things. But at the same time, to know that a team like that wants you, it’s not the end of the world. It could be worse (he smiled). Yeah, I think that’s just part of it.”
When asked about speculation regarding the three-time Stanley Cup champion moving to a different venue, Brisson told LeBrun, “it’s always a possibility.”
“Well, it’s a reality,” the high-profile agent said. “First of all, he’s been so consistent for 20 years. He had another great year last season. He just keeps going. The comparison is Tom Brady. We want Sidney to hopefully be in the playoffs every year. We want him to hopefully win another Cup or two. So each year the team that he’s playing for fails to make the playoffs, it creates a lot of speculation.
“In reality, he’s not getting any younger. We’re here to support him. It’s the beginning of the season here. Let’s see how things are going. Hopefully they have a great season and the speculation will go away.”
It goes without saying that skating for a non-contending team is difficult for Crosby. The ultimate competitor, Sid’s built for high-stakes hockey. Anyone who watched his play during last season’s 4 Nations Face-Off, and with a dinged up wrist/forearm to boot, had to be astounded by his play. His leadership and compete level, to say nothing of his skill, were off the charts.
In particular, the play he made to cinch Canada’s must-have victory over Finland left me speechless. With precisely 60 ticks left on the clock, Sid flattened ex-teammate Mikael Granlund at the red line, then had the presence of mind to bat down a short pass from Sam Reinhart before driving the biscuit 100 feet into an empty net.
It’s one thing for 20-somethings like the Tkachuk brothers to get involved physically. But a 37-year-old legend? Oh, and Sid’s setup on the fourth Team Canada goal came partly as a result of his trademark greasy play along the wall, not to mention extraordinary vision and sense of anticipation.
Has there ever been a more complete player in the history of the sport?
I digress.
Unfortunately, at this stage of his career, he and the Pens aren’t an especially good match. Not with the organization in the throes of a retool/rebuild and POHO/GM Kyle Dubas not in any special hurry to make the Pens competitive again. Youth must and will be served out of necessity, with short-term results a distant afterthought.
While I’m not privy to Dubas’s timetable, it’s nearly impossible to envision the Pens qualifying for the playoffs the last two season of Sid’s contract. A sad state of affairs, indeed.
Not that I’m pushing for this, Lord knows. However, what if the unthinkable occurs and Sid requests a trade? Where would he go?
There would certainly be no shortage of suitors. IMHO, I’ve always thought Colorado would be the perfect landing spot for Sid. The Avs employ a familiar, up-tempo, attacking style similar to the Cup-era Pens. With Sid and fellow Nova Scotian (and Tim Horton’s trainee) Nathan MacKinnon on board, the Avs would boast an unbeatable 1-2 punch at center.
However, the road to a Rocky Mountain high would appear to be blocked by former Islander Brock Nelson, who inked a three-year deal with the Avs this summer.
Montréal is another hotly rumored destination. The Canadiens are an emerging team, loaded with young talent. One can only imagine Sid leading the kids to Stanley Cup glory.
If a deal were to be struck with the Canadiens, who (or what) might he fetch in return? Would Habs GM Kent Hughes consider parting with a rising young meteor like puck-moving defenseman Lane Hutson in exchange for a 38-year-old Mt. Rushmore icon with plenty of juice left?
Perhaps too steep a price to pay, even for Sid.
How about a package including emerging power forward and former first overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky and a draft pick or two?
Honestly, I can scarcely harbor a reasonable guess at Sid’s worth on the open market.
I’ll close by borrowing from a hit song from the ‘60s by The Brooklyn Bridge. Leaving the Pens to play for a contender might be the best thing to happen to Sid. But it truly would be the worst that could happen to us.
He Rick,
Rick we will have to be on separate sides on this. As I wrote above, Crosby has done all there is to do in terms of championships, including being the leader of at least two of those Stanley Cups. Divorcing himself from the team for which he sacrificed so much money, sweat, and blood does nothing to enhance his legacy and can only serve to mitigate the second part of his legacy of not only one of the most talented players of all time but also the him being the ultimate team player.
Did William Travis, Davey Crocket, or Jim Bowie switch sides at the Alamo so that they could be on the winning side again? Did Brigadier John K. Lawson, commander of the Canadian garrison in Hong Kong in 1941 switch sides and join the Japanese Army so he could win one more battle? Did General Johnathan Wainwright switch sides when the Japanese forces attacked Corregidor so he could add one more victory to his name? Did Mario Lemieux demand to be traded in 2001-2004 when their best season was a 0.421 W%?
The only thing Crosby hasn’t done is hold the line for the team to which he has already given volumes. In an era when every other athlete is a mercenary looking out for their own personal glory, to date, Sid has been the antithesis of those self-serving types.
Hey Other Rick,
I get where you’re going with this. But turning traitor against your country in war in one thing. Requesting a trade because you’re quite capable of competing for a sporting prize, is another.
As you well know from having so many in your family who served and sacrificed for their country, war is life and death. Hockey and sports in general, while certainly similar in some aspects, aren’t.
Yes, my friend, we’ll have to agree to disagree.
Rick
Sorry Rick, you do not get it. I am not saying that I would get angry with Crosby. I am not saying he is turning traitor, I am saying that there is something very special about someone who realizes that he has nothing left to prove by winning one more Cup with some other team. I love sports and not spectacle. Chasing one more Cup would be totally out of character to all for which Crosby has stood. To date, Crosby has been a true sports hero in a world dominated by spectacle celebrities, celebrating themselves.
You chose to view this anyway you want, but I will not buy into spectacle. I will always appreciate Crosby for his on-ice accomplishments regardless of his decision. But if he chooses to no longer take the road on which he started, I will be sad. I am well aware that it would be far easier for him to follow the path of vanity, the path that so many others would ask of him and far more difficult and courageous for him to stay on his current path. It is far easier to selfish than selfless.
Addendum, Crosby wouldn’t be turning his back on the Penguins, he would be a traitor to all that he has been.
And the very origins of sport, if you were to research it, is to physically prepare people for war. Golf got banned in England at one point because it took soldiers off the Archery ranges, weakening the Army. Interesting true facts when you take courses in exercise, sports et al.
Hey Rick,
Question: At this point in time, right now, if Sidney Crosby were to retire today, what would his legacy be?
The lazy, no-thought response would simply be listing the mans incredibly lengthy on-ice exploits; his goals, his assists, his championships, Stanley Cups, and his gold medals. Crosby is one of the most storied players to ever skate in an NHL rink. There is no almost no hockey related box he has to check off his career. He has done it all.
However, at least to date, there is far more to number 87s legacy that blows just about every other player out of the water. To date, the Captain has been the paragon of a class and in a world of selfish, primadonna athletes who put self aggrandizement above team, Craosby has been an anachronistic epitome of a team player. Every contract to which he has agreed, as a Penguin, has been team friendly, allowing the team the flexibility, in this insane me first world, to assemble an actual team around our beloved Captain.
I do not know what the future holds for Crosby, he may get worn down by all of the cultural pressure to cave and be like the rest of the self serving people who self-promote. If he does, I will be saddened. I know his agent will be glad because that parasite will get more $$$$, but I will be sad. I will be sad because, in the end, Crosby would have turned away from the greatest part of his legacy, his humility and commitment to team. I will be sad because he will have then failed at the only accomplishment he hasn’t achieved in his otherwise ridiculously brilliant career, he will have failed to mentor his successor. I will still appreciate all that Crosby gave to this city, but I will be saddened by his capitulation to egotistical side. And I will be saddened that he didn’t finish his career the way lived it. I will be saddened by him becoming just another pompous athlete.
Hey Other Rick,
Wow…great thoughts, and I absolutely agree with the first part of your comments. Leaving the millions of dollars he could’ve earned on the table for the good of the team, especially in this day and age of me-first, is a reflection of his extraordinary character and selflessness, as you pointed out.
By comparison, Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov recently turned down an offer for $16 million/per. Boggles the mind.
However, we diverge a bit on your closing thoughts. Even if Sid were to ask for a trade, I don’t see it as a full-blown Darth Vader-ish capitulation to the dark side. There are shades of gray and mitigating circumstances.
Although it’s easy to overlook given what on the surface is his steady, even-keel nature, just beneath beats the heart of a fierce competitor who’s virtually hard-wired to win and excel. I think it’s probably tougher for Sid to endure the losing than we can imagine. The fact that Dubas has given no pretense of even trying to compete has to make it doubly difficult for Sid and some of the other vets.
Simply not the way you want to wrap up an exemplary career. Especially since he can still most assuredly get ‘er done.
However, as long as he’s here I fully expect Sid to do all he can to serve as a mentor for the kid’s coming up. Just so much class and professionalism.
Rick