"Nobody tells Sidney Crosby what to do": Elliotte Friedman makes his thoughts on Penguins captain's future crystal clear

Elliotte Friedman spoke about Sidney Crosby’s future amid the rise of rumors about his trade out of Pittsburgh. Crosby is signed to a two-year deal worth $17.4 million starting this season. He will be earning $8.7 million per year, but he is looking for playoff hockey. It is something that the Penguins haven't tasted for the last three seasons and are less likely to make it in the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Speaking on the "32 Thoughts" podcast on Thursday, Friedman said the Penguins look like a team not trying to win.

"I think a lot of people would look at the Penguins and say... that they're the one team that's not trying to win," Friedman said. [54:06 onwards] "Everybody else (is like) ‘We want to get better’, ‘We want to get better’, ‘We want to improve.’ Pittsburgh is the one team that's not like that. They are ... throwing in the towel."

Meanwhile, Sidney Crosby has scored over 90 points in each of the last three seasons for the Penguins. If you take a look at his career, Crosby is the only player to have 20 seasons with a point per game pace. That's something special, worthy of another shot at a Stanley Cup.

Friedman explained that this level (Penguins') will not be good enough for Crosby. He added that the decision will not come from the Penguins but from Crosby himself. A choice may come after the Olympics if the Penguins are out of contention.

"This is not going to be the Penguins' call," Friedman said. "This is going to be Crosby's call. As he says in the interview, he hasn't gone there yet. Okay, I don't think it happens before the Olympics, after the Olympics, if they're out of it, that's where I kind of look at it and see, 'Does this happen?'"

Friedman also talked about Sidney Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson. He said Brisson’s comments made sense but felt stronger when read directly. People close to Crosby want to see him in the playoffs again. They have watched him play well in international events. They believe he still belongs on the playoff stage.

"The people who really know him and care about him and are a part of his inner circle, they see the way he played in the Four Nations last year," Friedman said. "They know the way he's going to play in the Olympics this year, and they want to see that in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

"And they not only they want that for themselves, but they want that for him, but ultimately, it's going to be his call like nobody tells Sidney Crosby what to do...."

At age 38, Crosby still plays at a high level. He scored 91 points last season, which included 33 goals. Additionally, he scored five points for Canada in the 4 Nations Faceoff and won gold as a captain.

So Friedman believes Crosby might opt for a trade.

"So at some point in time, he (Crosby) is going to make that call if he wants to." Friedman said.

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Pierre LeBrun's projected team for a Sidney Crosby trade

The Penguins have not matched Sidney Crosby’s consistency. They missed the playoffs last year for the third straight season. They finished seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 34-36-12 record. So, if a trade happens, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun believes Crosby can land in Montreal and Colorado.

"And it’s not just Montreal," LeBrun wrote on Monday. "There’s Crosby’s good pal Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado, who no doubt would love to have No. 87 with him in Denver."

So, Sidney Crosby's future will depend on his choice and the Penguins’ direction in the upcoming 2025-26 season.