The Pittsburgh Penguins are rebuilding
their roster, even though management won’t admit it. Forwards Bryan
Rust and Rickard Rakell and defenseman Erik Karlsson have been
frequently mentioned as trade candidates throughout the off-season.
Even Sidney Crosby hasn’t been spared
the trade conjecture, though his name hasn’t popped up as often.
Nevertheless, there was sporadic chatter earlier this summer linking
the 38-year-old Penguins superstar to the Colorado Avalanche (where
his buddy Nathan MacKinnon plays) and his childhood team, the
Montreal Canadiens.
Crosby addressed that occasional trade
chatter during the NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas on
Tuesday. He said he understood it because his clubs missed the
playoffs the past three years. The Penguins captain also indicated he
was flattered that he was drawing so much interest from a hockey-mad
market like Montreal.
Meanwhile, Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson,
didn’t rule out the possibility that his client could be traded
before his contract expires in 2027. However, he also suggested the
speculation could disappear if the Penguins improve and reach the
playoffs. Brisson ultimately believes it comes down to how Crosby is
going to be and how the team is going to do.
Colorado Hockey Now’s Aarif Deen cited
the speculation linking Crosby to the Avalanche and Canadiens. He
thinks the latter stands the better chance because of their status as
an up-and-coming club.
However, the odds remain slim of Crosby
coming to Montreal. The asking price could include a rising star like
Lane Hutson or a top prospect like Ivan Demidov, two players the
Canadiens won’t part with.
NHL Rumor Roundup: Update On Canucks’ Hughes, Canadiens’ Next Steps After Trading Price
Quinn Hughes’ future with the Vancouver
Canucks has been murky since team president Jim Rutherford floated
the notion of the defenseman one day joining brothers Jack and Luke
with the New Jersey Devils.
The player media tour also saw New
Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes say that he’d love to play with his
brother, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, at some point.
Jack knew that it was “the headline
question” but indicated he wasn’t afraid to say it, whether it was
with New Jersey or elsewhere. “They talk about it all day up in
Vancouver, you know?” Hughes said. “But yeah, I’d love to play
with Quinn at some point.”
Quinn Hughes said the following day that it’s normal for a brother to say something like that, and playing with brothers Jack and Luke Hughes at some point would be fun, but he’s excited to be in Vancouver.
Patrick Johnston of The Province
assumed Canucks management would love to one day acquire Jack and
Luke Hughes from the Devils and unite them with Quinn in Vancouver.
However, he acknowledged that it would be incredibly hard to pull
off, which is why there’s speculation suggesting Quinn Hughes could head to
New Jersey when his contract expires in 2027, if not beforehand via
trade.
The Devils still have to get RFA Luke Hughes under contract before the start of this season. New
Jersey Hockey Now’s James Nichols wondered if the term of that deal
might determine if the Hughes brothers play together in New Jersey or
elsewhere.
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