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Penguins’ Dubas Preps for Private Conversation with Sidney Crosby

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Jim Parsons | Last updated 3/19/24

“I think you’d be remiss not to seek his opinion and how he’s feeling,” Pittsburgh Penguins’ general manager Kyle Dubas said about a conversation he’s preparing to have with captain Sidney Crosby after the season. Everyone in Pittsburgh is a bit unhappy about how this season has gone. There’s talk about retooling, which seems to have started with the trading of Jake Guentzel at the NHL Trade Deadline. Crosby wasn’t happy about the decision to move his buddy and the team’s leading scorer.

“Obviously he’s done so much for the city of Pittsburgh and for the Penguins … I want his opinion, I value his opinion,” said Dubas. At the same time, the GM noted, “We may not always agree and I might have to do things in the short run he disagrees with.”

Dubas believes all sides are still on the same page when it comes to Crosby’s future with the Penguins. He believes that despite the clear frustration from the captain, he’s on board with seeing this thing through in Pittsburgh. But, he wants to be sure and he’s prepared to talk to Crosby about how that looks.

Crosby and his agent Pat Brisson want to talk about the season when the Penguins are ultimately done with the 2023-24 campaign. While it appears unlikely, there is a slim chance they’ll be postseason hockey in Pittsburgh, but more important might be what happens next season… and the year after that.

Crosby Will Want to Know What the Penguins’ Plan Is

If the Penguins aren’t planning to be competitive, what is Crosby doing this for? Dubas explained about trading Guentzel, “It’s tough when you have to make those decisions.: He added, “But you have to always do what you believe is best for the long term of the organization and my sights were set on giving the team as long as possible to assert itself more in the race.”

Dubas doesn’t want to tear it all down. That said, the team might get worse before it gets better. Is Crosby on board with that? How much time does he realistically have to give to a Penguins team that might be out of the mix for the next three to five seasons?

Crosby has one more year on his deal. There’s been talk about an extension, but this pending conversation could lead to a variety of different outcomes if Crosby doesn’t love what he hears.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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