‘I don’t know, it’s probably a better question for them’: Sidney Crosby on Penguins management trading Jake Guentzel

“He’s a great player and a great teammate,” Crosby said. “He’s a friend. He did everything he possibly could in his time here. It was a privilege to play with him for the course of his time here. (There were) some great memories.”

When asked what he thought the message was from management after the trade, Crosby responded, “I don’t know, that’s probably a better question for them.”

It was the first time in quite a while that Crosby, now 36, sounded dejected. The three-time Stanley Cup champion has only found a few linemates who have been consistently reliable through his career, and there’s a case to be made that Guentzel was the best.

Asked if he was still confident the Penguins could turn this thing around, Crosby sounded like he had faint optimism.

“I hope,” he said. “Tonight’s not going to be the kind of game that does that, but I hope. I think the trade deadline is always tough but I think, given the circumstances, it’s a little heavier.”

The Penguins traded their talented winger, along with defensesman Ty Smith, in exchange for Michael Bunting, prospects Ville Koivunena, Vasili Ponomarev and Cruz Lucius, a conditional 2024 first- and fifth-round pick in 2024.