Sidney Crosby and the rumors of him leaving the Pittsburgh Penguins seem inseparable. Experts and insiders have given conflicting statements about Crosby either leaving or ending his career with the Penguins. John Shannon said he doesn’t see the Team Canada captain leaving Pittsburgh. “I do not see it, period,” said Shannon, while considering Frank Seravailli backed that notion.
“I think it’s still a real long shot. Mostly because I think we’re taking Sidney Crosby — I think you have to take him at his own word,” he said about the three-time Stanley Cup winner. What’s more? Crosby’s current contract doesn’t wrap up before 2026-27, and he’s on a no-movement clause. However, his age and interest from other clubs have led others to sing a different tune.
Again, in early July, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski said something different. “I’ve long believed that Sidney Crosby will end his career in Montreal,” he said on The Sheet with Jeff Marek. Yet, with the off-season signings slowing down and another year of NHL hockey approaching, John Shannon has reiterated his stance. “I don’t ever see Sidney Crosby leaving Pittsburgh. Ever. I just don’t,” Shannon said on the Sekeres and Price show.
The Sports Emmy award-winning journalist explained that, despite the rough patch the Penguins are going through now, Crosby is following in Mario Lemieux’s footsteps. The NHL legend only ever played for Pittsburgh, and his loyalty to the team will forever be part of Lemieux’s legacy. Shannon believes Corsby aims to emulate the same thing.
NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA Boston Bruins at Pittsburgh Penguins Apr 13, 2025 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby 87 looks on before a face-off against the Boston Bruins during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Pittsburgh PPG Paints Arena Pennsylvania USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xCharlesxLeClairex 20250413_tbs_al8_425
“It’s not a Ray Bourque situation where after 20 years he hasn’t won the Stanley Cup,” Shannon added. Meanwhile, another reputed insider, Elliotte Friedman, also backed up Shannon’s claim. “We also got like the, we got the preliminary media list and says Sidney Crosby, Penguin,” Friedman said about the 38-year-old’s future with the Penguins.
“So that one was a sign to me that he’s, if anybody doubted that he’s not getting traded this summer,” Friedman shared on 32 Thoughts. Yet, one of the biggest factors behind all this talk barely seems to affect Crosby.
Age is just a number for Sidney Crosby
One of the biggest reasons behind the rumor mill on Crosby’s departure constantly churning is his age. At 38, many believe Crosby is slowing down, and Crosby, in all his humbleness, was modest about it. “It’s better not to think too far ahead, but, you know, that’s served me pretty good to this point, so I’ll keep approaching it that way,” the NHL icon said about his approach to hockey.
However, Paul Pidutti on X highlighted a stat that defies the notion that age is slowing the veteran down. “Crosby’s era-neutral 82-game pace by season tells the story of a relentless, adaptive athlete scoring at similar levels from his late 20s through late 30s,” the Adjusted Hockey founder explained. Pidutti also shared the stats across Sidney Crosby’s 20 NHL seasons.
NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins Mar 30, 2025 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby 87 looks on at the face-off circle against the Ottawa Senators during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Pittsburgh PPG Paints Arena Pennsylvania USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xCharlesxLeClairex 20250330_cec_al8_189
With 1835 points in 1411 games, the graph shows that throughout the last decade, the Canadian hockey legend has kept his points-earning pace above 90. Despite Father Time playing his tricks, the Pittsburgh Penguins icon has continued to score goals and points at a steady pace since his late 20s. So, while you may see the ‘age is just a number’ phrase pop up too many times, this is one instance where it seems justified.
With that out of the way, there’s one final reason why rumors of Sidney Crosby leaving the Penguins persist, and that’s Evgeni Malkin. Just like Crosby, Malkin is a Pittsburgh Penguins legend. In fact, he is only behind Crosby and Lemieux on the all-time points tally. However, all sources point to Malkin leaving the Penguins after his contract expires at the end of next season. Insiders like Greg Wyshynski believe that Malkin’s departure may push Crosby to leave as well, but that’s just speculation. Yet, what do you believe? Let us know in the comments.
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