The Pittsburgh Penguins have shocked everyone this season, sitting pretty at 8-4-2 in what many thought would be a rebuilding year. But Monday night’s painful collapse against the Maple Leafs has some fans worried the other shoe might drop.
The 4-3 loss to Toronto brought back memories of preseason predictions that had the Pens struggling near the bottom of the standings.
It’s also stirred up questions about Sidney Crosby’s future with the team. The longtime captain, now 38, has been the face of the franchise through three Stanley Cup victories.
“No, I would never,” Penguins GM Kyle Dubas told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun when asked if he’d consider asking Crosby to waive his no-movement clause. “He’s got two years, this year and next, on his contract.”
Dubas’s stance is crystal clear: winning solves everything.
The situation got interesting back in September when Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, hinted his client might consider requesting a trade if the team started tanking. But Crosby quickly shut down that talk, saying Pittsburgh “is where I want to be.”
He backed that up by signing a two-year extension that keeps him in black and gold through 2026-27.
Before the season started, Crosby knew what people were saying. The expectations were low “from the outside.” But that didn’t mean he was ready to throw in the towel.
“We’re trying to put ourselves in a position to win every single day,” Dubas explained. “I understand that it doesn’t appear on the outside at times that it’s glaringly obvious, but internally, we have very different viewpoints on it.”
The GM can’t say enough good things about his captain. “We’re very fortunate to have a person of that character, capability, of that winning pedigree, all in one.”
For now, the Pens are focused on proving the doubters wrong. They’ll get their next chance Thursday night when they host their old rivals, the Washington Capitals (6-5-1).
