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With the Pittsburgh Penguins sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, general manager Kyle Dubas has been focused on reshaping the roster by moving on from veteran players and bringing in younger talent.
Sidney Crosby, now 37, has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh, but Dubas’ push for a youth movement has sparked speculation that his time with the Penguins could be nearing its end.
That chatter gained even more traction after Crosby suited up for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, where he played alongside his good friend, Nathan MacKinnon. TSN’s Carlo Colaiacovo and Bryan Hayes even discussed the possibility of Crosby joining MacKinnon in Colorado.
Meanwhile, the Penguins were in Colorado to face the Avalanche on Tuesday, just a few days before the NHL trade deadline.
With MacKinnon entering the game just 10 points away from reaching 1,000 for his career, Crosby admitted it's "good for him to be rewarded" for his hard work.
"Anytime you see guys up close and how hard they work and how much they put into it, you want to see them get rewarded," Crosby said. "And he's somebody that's continued to want to get better every single year, and he cares a lot. It's good for him to be rewarded."
MacKinnon and the Avalanche went on to win 4-1. He recorded two assists, bringing his career total to 992. Crosby also assisted on Pittsburgh's lone goal.
Game respects game #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/0s3fl2wiXi
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 4, 2025
Even after all the speculation, NHL insiders Kyle Johnston and Pierre LeBrun reported that the Penguins have no plans to trade their franchise legend before Friday's deadline but are willing to make other moves.
"The organization has no intention of putting its biggest name in play — Sidney Crosby — as it tries to retool its way back to respectability, and the 37-year-old captain remains an impactful player."
Perhaps a trade is looming in the offseason, but only time will tell if Crosby will finish his career as a Penguin.
More must-reads:
- Penguins' Sidney Crosby breaks impressive Wayne Gretzky record
- Tigers complete trade with Brewers for 29-year-old outfielder
- The 'NFL QBs with 2+ five passing touchdown games' quiz
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Joey Saputo admits to having probably made a mistake by distancing himself from CF Montréal
One can never blame Tony Marinaro for not talking about the CF Montréal. He does it in his podcast on the club twice a week, he does it three to four times a week during his shows on BPM Sports, he does it occasionally with JiC on TVA Sports… And this, even if the segments on soccer are constantly less listened to than the segments on the Canadiens. There are fans who “like” discussions on hockey, but who stop tuning in to the 91.9 FM Montréal radio station when it’s about soccer rather than hockey. It’s a reality. Some say Tony is too negative, but One, it takes all kinds of coverage to make a club shine; Two, when there’s something positive to say about the club, Tony is always there to say it. This morning, on the eve of a very important game for the Canadiens in Philadelphia, Tony shared some clips from an interview given by Joey Saputo to a radio station in Bologna. In short, here’s what Tony remembered from this interview in Italian: 1. Joey Saputo admitted to having distanced himself from the club because he was heavily criticized in Montréal. In short, his solution to respond to criticism about his passion was to move away from the club. However, he admits he may have made a mistake by doing so… a huge mistake (leaving the presidency). He admits to having lost the passion to work within this club. 2. The culture of the CF Montréal today is not the same as it was when he was here and helping the club (Impact) grow to the highest level in North America. “It breaks my heart. I see a big difference between where the club was before and where it is now.” – Joey Saputo 3. In 2012, the Impact played games against Bologna and was almost at the same level. If the CF Montréal were to face Bologna’s first team today, it would be a massacre. The CF Montréal would have no chance. These are not Tony’s words, but Joey’s. 4. The difference between Bologna and Montréal is that Joey allows himself to be around the team. He has a dialogue with the coach. “I don’t tell him who to play and who not to play, but I can give him some opinions […] in Montréal, I’m seen as the guy who puts his nose in the kitchen, who wants to influence the coach. How I’m seen in Bologna and how I’m seen with the CF Montréal, it’s completely different.” – Joey Saputo 5. Many people have criticized him for spending more time in Bologna than in Montréal… for spending more money in Bologna than in Montréal. Why is he acting this way? “Because in Bologna, it’s appreciated. In Montréal, it’s not appreciated, what we do. In Bologna, they let me work, they let our club work.” – Joey Saputo 6. Joey Saputo claims to be spending as much money as before on the CF Montréal. He loses $20 million in annual operating costs. 7. The Montréal market is a small limited market (notably in terms of sponsorships) where he has to sell low-priced tickets to hope to fill the Stade Saputo. He didn’t mention the weakness of the Canadian dollar, but he could have. 8. The club has the mindset of developing young players and not spending too much on stars because Joey doesn’t want to lose even more money annually. He asks the fans to accept the club’s strategy and support it. Otherwise – and he doesn’t want it to come to this -, but it will be bye-bye. What do we take away from this? Some fans or media members will see this interview as the beginning of a reflection that will inevitably lead to the sale of the concession. The owner is detached… he’s dumping on us… I respect their reading and opinion, but that’s not how I perceive it. Yes, Joey Saputo seems sad… yes, he seems to have some regrets… But he mostly shows that he still cares about Montréal. He took the time to explain why he distanced himself from the club, and sincerely, we can understand why he acted that way. He’s emotional, and when you’re constantly being criticized, you sometimes want to just move away from the heat. By listening to this interview – and of course, Tony Marinaro’s translation -, we better understand why he’s not investing in the Stade Saputo and why he’s not taking out his checkbook to bring in big names to Montréal. But we can also think that Joey is thinking about how to rebuild bridges with his first city. Maybe it’s time for Joey to end his (too long) exile from Quebec and come back to give love to his first club. I know, not everything has been perfect with Joey. Not even close… But not everything has been catastrophic either. Montréal is lucky to have a club in the MLS, and if Joey ever thinks about making a comeback in a more active way around the club, I think it will be good news, not bad. Especially since his two sons are making many of the soccer decisions right now. There aren’t 10,000 potential owners for a soccer club of this magnitude in Montréal. If one day, Joey wants to come back, explain himself, apologize, and extend his hand again to the fans, I hope they will be receptive and accept his hand. Because in the end, we would all benefit from it. We understand that it will pass or break over the next few years. The status quo won’t last another 10, 15 years. And any important and strategic decision will come from Joey (and Lino Jr). Joey realizes he probably made a mistake by distancing himself from Montréal; it’s time to fix that mistake. And I’m talking to Joey as much as to the club’s fans… Be careful what you wish for. Do you prefer an owner who’s too emotional at times or an absent owner? There’s no businessman who likes to lose money… especially not when being constantly criticized by the people you’re trying to please by spending millions of dollars. Losing money with the CF Montréal is okay – many soccer clubs lose money around the world -, but I admit that at least you have to enjoy the adventure. You have to recognize the gestures made and the risks taken by the only possible owner for a soccer club of this magnitude in Montréal… At this point, I wonder what we would say/do if Joey Saputo were to take back the presidency instead of Gabriel Gervais. How would it be perceived?
Love or tennis royalty? Katie Boulter forced to choose between Alex de Minaur and Andy Murray as ideal doubles tennis partner
Although the 2025 Miami Open is approaching it's conclusion, several fans had the opportunity to hear from their favorite players during the fun-filled event. British tennis star Katie Boulter was among those interviewed for some interesting promos by the Miami Open organizers, and the Leicester native showcased her personality in a fun challenge. Dubbed The Sticker Book Challenge, Boulter was asked various questions regarding her career from a sticker book and she had to truthfully answer each one by choosing from a number of pre-selected stickers. De Minaur emerges as ideal doubles partner Boulter seemed nonplussed at the initial questions, which centered around the best wins of her career. However, she appeared to be stumped when asked to choose her ideal doubles partner. The former World No.23 was asked to select from a group that featured compatriots Heather Watson, Emma Raducanu, three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray and fiancé Alex de Minaur. After some introspection, Boulter would choose de Minaur, saying "she had to choose" the Aussie star. Boulter showed little hesitation when choosing her greatest player of all time, immediately selecting WTA legend Serena Williams from a group that included Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. "The absolute GOAT for me and will always be," said Boulter as she selected Williams' sticker. "That one's an absolute no brainer."
'She can beat anybody anytime, anywhere': Maria Sharapova's ex-coach backs Jessica Pegula to win Grand Slam in 2025
Ex-coach of the former world number one Maria Sharapova, Rick Macci, has predicted that America’s Jessica Pegula can win a Grand Slam this year. The 31-year-old is currently taking part at the Miami Open where she cemented her spot in the last-four after beating Britain’s Emma Raducanu in the quarterfinal with a score of 6-4, 6-7, 6-2. Ex-coach of the former world number one Sharapova, Macci, who also worked with the likes of Andy Roddick, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams, predicted that Pegula can win a Grand Slam this year in a post on his official account on the social media platform X — previously known as Twitter. “Pegula has always been one of the best pure ball strikers on tour not to win a Slam. She can beat anybody anytime, anywhere. One of the most rock solid players off both wings. The Buffalo Blaster could grab a SLAM this year,” he wrote. Pegula does not have a great record while playing at a Grand Slam. Her best outing came in the US Open in 2024, where she finished as the runner-up after losing to reigning world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the final in straight sets with a score of 7-5, 7-5. Talking after the match, the reigning world number four admitted that it was a ‘tough’ outing against Raducanu. "It was tough,” she said. “I played a good first set, a little let down in the second, got it back, went up 2-0 in the tiebreak, but the it kind of flipped. She started moving the ball really well, serving good ... sometimes it just happens, but I just wanted to come out in the third really strong, really quick, and just kind of jump on her and not keep the third set too close. I love playing here, I love playing at home, I love getting wins in the Dolphins stadium ... I always play really well here ... and I'm hoping the third time's the charm. I want to make it to that final so bad, and I'll give it another shot tomorrow night."
Raiders make decision on two exclusive rights free agents
While much of the attention has gone to unrestricted free agents, the Las Vegas Raiders had some in-house decisions to make on two exclusive rights free agents. An exclusive rights free agent is considered as a player with less than two accrued seasons and an expired contract. While there are many ways to accrue time for a season, it mostly means that a player must be active for at least six games in two seasons. The Raiders had two free agents that fell into this category: offensive lineman Jordan Meredith and defensive tackle Matthew Butler. Throughout the week, decisions were made by the Raiders on both of them. The Raiders have decided to keep both of their ERFAs. On Monday, the Raiders agreed to a deal with Meredith first. Meredith was one of the unsung heroes of the Raiders season in 2024. An undrafted free agent signed by the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, Meredith not only finally received a chance to start in 2024 with the Raiders, but was one of the best guards in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, Meredith graded as the fifth-best guard in the NFL. “Not appearing in a game until Week 6, Meredith played by far the fewest snaps among players on this list but made the absolute most of them,” wrote PFF’s Jim Wyman. “He didn’t allow any sacks and let his quarterback hit the ground only once to the tune of just nine pressures on 399 pass-blocking snaps.” “This was Meredith’s first season playing more than 100 snaps since being an undrafted free agent in 2021. If 2024 was any indication, he should see a significant increase in his role going forward.” Meredith should slide right back into a starting position at one of the guard spots, which is a fantastic achievement for an underdog player. On Wednesday, the Raiders decided to do the same with Butler, agreeing to bring him back for the 2025 season. While Butler is a less significant move than Meredith, he does add to the Raiders’ push for continuity. A fifth-round draft pick of the team in 2022, Butler has appeared in 15 games for the Raiders, recording 15 tackles and half a sack. He will likely compete for a roster spot once again on what is a deep Raiders defensive line. Bringing Meredith and Butler back showcases the faith the team has in their abilities, and now they get the chance to prove that they made the right decision.
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