[Proposal] The unthinkable Crosby

[Provost]

The Penguins have made it pretty clear with the offseason that they are moving into rebuild mode.  Does that mean holding on to Crosby until his contract runs out next year or trying to get some value.

 

Half or our organization if from the Penguins heyday and he has a full NMC so can choose wherever he wants.

 

Unlike most teams with a chance to win we actually can easily make the cap space to bring him in just by moving Garland and running with a 21-22 man roster.

 

Petterson blew away the SHL as winger so could easily slide over.

 

Petterson-Crosby-Boeser

Debrusk-Miller-Heinen

Joshua-Suter-Podkolzin

Sherwood-Blueger-Karlsson

 

 No idea the cost, it is just for one year… but Hoglander/Podkolzin are in a nice age group, a couple picks.  Really if we avoid moving our three actual NHL calibre prospects we could move other parts.

 

If they want to up their return, retain on Crosby and we could take on another more expensive forward from them.

[Bob Long]

It would be awesome, but why would Sid do it? to win a cup in Canada maybe? that could be a neat motivator for him.

 

It's really all up to Sid. Dubas would be a moron to deny it if it's what Sid wanted. 

 

[Drakrami]

Crosby coming to our team would be freaking amazing and we will actually have a chance at the Stanley cup. 

 

But wishful thinking if you think he will come cheap. If we're talking about a TDL trade, the price will probably be 3 1st rounders. Any team adding Crosby will instantly be cup favorites, let's not kid ourselves. 

[Coconuts]

Sid's repeatedly gone on the record over the years as saying he doesn't want to play anywhere else, he did so as recently as this past spring, I don't think the Pens fading is going to change that. 

[Nucker67]

Crosby in a Canucks uniform is a dream. 

 

If trading with PIT, Canucks should go after Marcus Pettersson, and one day they might have 3 Petterssons on the team. 

 

Hughes - Hronek

Pettersson - Myers

Soucy - Desharnais

Forbort

 

 

 

[Hockey God]

Mario says no.

[Pears]

Crosby isn't going anywhere unless he explicitly states he doesn't want anything to do with a rebuild and wants to play for a cup his last few years. 

 

Edit: And even then, it's much more likely Pittsburgh does what they need to do themselves to be contenders than trade Crosby. 

Edited July 4, 2024 by Pears

[Ghostsof1915]

There would have to be 1sts involved. And for sure Garland would have to go to Pittsburgh. And Pittsburgh would have to be willing to take around 50% of $8.7 million

($4.35 million, maybe $4, or $3.5) The only way it happens is Sid would want to move, and be ok with Vancouver.

 

Then is raises the big question. Do you keep him and at what salary would he accept?

 

No thanks for rental. If he wants to spend his last 2-3 years or so in Vancouver I'm all for it if the cap makes sense.

Edited July 4, 2024 by Ghostsof1915

[Ghostsof1915]

23 minutes ago, Pears said:

Crosby isn't going anywhere unless he explicitly states he doesn't want anything to do with a rebuild and wants to play for a cup his last few years. 

 

Edit: And even then, it's much more likely Pittsburgh does what they need to do themselves to be contenders than trade Crosby. 

Pittsburgh has $3.5+ Million in Cap Space. They could make a move at the trade deadline. But a lot is going to depend on how competitive they are in the regular season.

That $10 million contract to Karlsson, yikes.

[timberz21]

Just think of what we gave up for Lindholm, imagine the cost for Crosby.  

 

Forget the JR/PA connection, once word of Crosby is available gets out there, a bidding war will ensue.  Yes, Crosby might control his destiny, but why would he choose Vancouver (and it wouldn't be like him to handcuff the Penguins, he'd want them to get the best package possible).  If he were ever to play for another team, considering he already won the cup multiple times(and everything else in Hockey), I would suspect he would choose a destination that is special for him.  I.e. Habs since he grew up a fan, Rangers because it's the big apple and lots of superstar like to finish their career there (Gretzky, Messier, St-Louis), etc.

[Ghostsof1915]

15 minutes ago, timberz21 said:

Just think of what we gave up for Lindholm, imagine the cost for Crosby.  

 

Forget the JR/PA connection, once word of Crosby is available gets out there, a bidding war will ensue.  Yes, Crosby might control his destiny, but why would he choose Vancouver (and it wouldn't be like him to handcuff the Penguins, he'd want them to get the best package possible).  If he were ever to play for another team, considering he already won the cup multiple times(and everything else in Hockey), I would suspect he would choose a destination that is special for him.  I.e. Habs since he grew up a fan, Rangers because it's the big apple and lots of superstar like to finish their career there (Gretzky, Messier, St-Louis), etc.

....and Naslund too correct?

[Provost]

1 hour ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

There would have to be 1sts involved. And for sure Garland would have to go to Pittsburgh. And Pittsburgh would have to be willing to take around 50% of $8.7 million

($4.35 million, maybe $4, or $3.5) The only way it happens is Sid would want to move, and be ok with Vancouver.

 

Then is raises the big question. Do you keep him and at what salary would he accept?

 

No thanks for rental. If he wants to spend his last 2-3 years or so in Vancouver I'm all for it if the cap makes sense.

We don’t need them to retain to fit Crosby.

 

Our LTIR space plus Garland plus the extra 1.5-2.0 million by not running with a full 23 man roster is enough space.

[Snoop Hogg]

I doubt Crosby extends if they continue their downward spiral into mediocrity.
 

Better to try and nab him in free agency than sell your entire future for one year of him

[Provost]

2 hours ago, timberz21 said:

Just think of what we gave up for Lindholm, imagine the cost for Crosby.  

 

Forget the JR/PA connection, once word of Crosby is available gets out there, a bidding war will ensue.  Yes, Crosby might control his destiny, but why would he choose Vancouver (and it wouldn't be like him to handcuff the Penguins, he'd want them to get the best package possible).  If he were ever to play for another team, considering he already won the cup multiple times(and everything else in Hockey), I would suspect he would choose a destination that is special for him.  I.e. Habs since he grew up a fan, Rangers because it's the big apple and lots of superstar like to finish their career there (Gretzky, Messier, St-Louis), etc.

You just dismissed really good reasons and inserted bad reasons for wanting to join somewhere else. Rangers can’t fit him in even remotely, and Montreal is still rebuilding and in a worse position to win than the Penguins.

 

1.  Just because he already won the Stanley Cup doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to win it again.  That is why players play, especially ones with enough career  earning to retire if they want.

 

2.  Basically everything we know about the NHL is that it is a small community and relationships matter.  Guys go places where they are comfortable with coaches, brass, teammates.  He knows Tocchet, he knows JR, he knows Allvin.  Heck, he played years with the veteran Gonchar as a fresh face Sid the Kid. There are multiple interviews with JR about how close he is with Crosby still.  Pittsburgh has changed their guard, and Crosby belongs to the old one that has transplanted here.

 

3.  Winning in Canada would be a great accomplishment on anyone’s resume, especially after a decades long drought.

 

4.  We can easily have the cap space and most teams in any position to contend don’t.

 

5.  There is another special connection to Vancouver.  There was this great golden goal scored here that you might not have heard of.

 

Crosby probably won’t move, but if he does, Vancouver has a ton going for it as a destination for him.

 

All the above as well as just the fit.  We need another top six forward (and probably another top four D).  We have a Norris winning D man, and a Vezina calibre goalie.  We have a line where Petterson would be more effective at wing and a guy who just scored 40 goals on the other wing.

 

Petterson-Miller-Boeser

 

… yikes

 

Then you have the hard matchup line of Debrusk-Miller-Heinen to make life difficult for the opposition top lines as well as potting in offence.

 

Then you have a really good bottom six now.

 

 

Edited July 4, 2024 by Provost

[Canuck You]

2 hours ago, Bob Long said:

It would be awesome, but why would Sid do it? to win a cup in Canada maybe? that could be a neat motivator for him.

 

It's really all up to Sid. Dubas would be a moron to deny it if it's what Sid wanted. 

 

He sure had fun winning Gold, Maybe add some Silverware on the same rink ?

[Agkr3w]

2 hours ago, Hockey God said:

Mario says no.

My thoughts exactly

[Dizzle]

2 hours ago, Coconuts said:

Sid's repeatedly gone on the record over the years as saying he doesn't want to play anywhere else, he did so as recently as this past spring, I don't think the Pens fading is going to change that. 

 

Sid agrees to be traded at the TDL for multiple rebuilding pieces... re-ups with Pittsburgh in the offseason. Wins back to back cups in 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 before riding off into the sunset with 5 rings. 

 

#assetmanagement

 

[Ghostsof1915]

3 minutes ago, Agkr3w said:

My thoughts exactly

There's two Hockey Gods? The Caps lock one and Hockey God?

[Agkr3w]

1 minute ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

There's two Hockey Gods? The Caps lock one and Hockey God?

Am I missing something?

[Provost]

2 hours ago, Hockey God said:

Mario says no.

Mario isn’t there anymore.  
 

Since the sale of the team, he just owns a token minority share and is not active in the club.

 

There are a bunch of reports about bad feelings regarding the sale and his relationship with the new ownership group.

[Hockey God]

6 minutes ago, Provost said:

Mario isn’t there anymore.  
 

Since the sale of the team, he just owns a token minority share and is not active in the club.

 

There are a bunch of reports about bad feelings regarding the sale and his relationship with the new ownership group.

Mario has a relationship with Sid that goes back to Sid living with him when he was just starting out.  Sid will listen to Mario, and Mario knws the importance of a generational player staying with a team and fans that love him.  

[spook007]

I honestly don't think the idea is so far fetched...
 

Crosby being the Canadian that brought the SC back north of the border... (I thought the same with Stammer), but that alone should be an incredible inventive for any Canadian hockey player...

 

Add to that the connection with JR... 

 

Just don't see, how they can make it happen financial, and secondly would Pens really let go of their icon? I see him retire as a Pen...

[Elias Pettersson]

Stamkos leaving Tampa opened the door for Crosby to move as well.  If he wants to.  As a UFA, he can do what he wants in the summer.  That would be the time to go after him, not now.  Don't want to give up 3 1st round picks when he could be had for free.  

 

Gretzky, Jagr, Roy, Messier, Orr, Trottier.  Lots of legends have left their original team to move elsewhere.  Mario, Sakic Yzerman and Ovechkin are the minority.  

 

Pittsburgh isn't winning another cup.  So, it depends what Crosby wants to do.  Does he simply want to retire as a Penguin, or move on to a new challenge?  If he simply wants to retire as a Penguin, then there really is no reason for him to play any longer after this season.  Pittsburgh is not even a playoff team.  

 

We could fit in under the cap next season by moving out Garland and a potential Demko trade if he doesn't re-sign with the Canucks.  

[Ghostsof1915]

15 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

Stamkos leaving Tampa opened the door for Crosby to move as well.  If he wants to.  As a UFA, he can do what he wants in the summer.  That would be the time to go after him, not now.  Don't want to give up 3 1st round picks when he could be had for free.  

 

Gretzky, Jagr, Roy, Messier, Orr, Trottier.  Lots of legends have left their original team to move elsewhere.  Mario, Sakic Yzerman and Ovechkin are the minority.  

 

Pittsburgh isn't winning another cup.  So, it depends what Crosby wants to do.  Does he simply want to retire as a Penguin, or move on to a new challenge?  If he simply wants to retire as a Penguin, then there really is no reason for him to play any longer after this season.  Pittsburgh is not even a playoff team.  

 

We could fit in under the cap next season by moving out Garland and a potential Demko trade if he doesn't re-sign with the Canucks.  

I agree, but I'm pretty sure Pittsburgh is going to want to know if Crosby is going to stay or no. Because they won't want him like Stamkos leaving the city for nothing.

They will at least then try to move him by the end of the trade deadline.

And man will that be a free-for-all.

Edited July 4, 2024 by Ghostsof1915

[Provost]

3 hours ago, Hockey God said:

Mario has a relationship with Sid that goes back to Sid living with him when he was just starting out.  Sid will listen to Mario, and Mario knws the importance of a generational player staying with a team and fans that love him.  

Did you even bother to read the post that you quoted.  Mario isn't involved with the Penguins and there is reportedly a lot of bad blood there.

Why would he tell that Crosby stay on a team that is rebuilding and that he isn't running anymore?  That seems like farfetched nonsense.  

Crosby is also not a little kid anymore, he will make any decision based on what he and his family wants.

Edited July 5, 2024 by Provost