Let’s Talk About Sidney Crosby And The Montreal Canadiens

Before we start discussing the Sidney Crosby angle, we should note Montreal Canadiens fans have become somewhat jaded when it comes to the possibility of adding a star player to the lineup. One of the most frustrating traditions in the NHL involves players suggesting they want to come to Montreal, before eventually signing a long-term contract with another team. Players like Pierre-Luc Dubois, Jaromir Jagr, and Daniel Briere have used the Habs as leverage in contract negotiations.

Important Caveat

As we prepare to delve into the subject, I would like to note this article is not a report, nor am I suggesting the Canadiens have initiated any semblance of trade talk with the Pittsburgh Penguins. I would also like to note it’s very unlikely Crosby ends up playing for the Canadiens, even if it makes sense for both the player and the team. In French, we will say ‘On jase‘ when initiating this type of conversation. In other words, we’re just having a chat during the dog days of summer.

Why Sidney Crosby Joining The Montreal Canadiens Works

At 37 years old, Crosby is no longer the best player in the NHL, but you’d be hard-pressed to argue he’s not a dominant presence on most nights. He has maintained a point-per-game pace over the course of the last five years, and his underlying numbers are still incredibly impressive, especially when you consider the Penguins are no longer an elite team that is considered a favourite to win the Stanley Cup.

The Penguins have missed the playoffs in back-to-back years for the first time since Crosby joined the league in 2005-06, indicating that he can no longer solely compensate for the many issues throughout the lineup. However, he did almost single handily drag them to springtime hockey in both seasons, connoting he’s still among one of the most valuable players in the NHL.

Much like the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin, the Penguins seem poised to reload in an attempt to extend Crosby’s time with the franchise that drafted him, but an honest look at their situation quickly paints a picture of a team that desperately needs to tear the walls down to the studs and rebuild the lineup.

MUST READ: The Penguins Should Drop The Pretense, Tear It Down

The Canadiens, on the other hand, are on the upswing. To be perfectly fair, it would be difficult to do worse than finishing among the bottom five teams in the NHL for three seasons in a row, but such is life in a rebuilding organization. Despite many fans expecting a big step forward in 2024-25, I’m not convinced the Canadiens will push for a playoff spot next season. It’s par for the course given their long-term plans, which involve the Canadiens becoming perennial contenders rather than a team that will have to fight like a devil in holy water to finish eighth in the conference.

That being said, all signs point to a club that has taken the right steps in trades, drafts, and other key organizational decisions. There’s depth and talent at every position in the prospect pool, and between young players like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Kaiden Guhle, among others, the potential for a successful team is impossible to ignore.

via R/Habs

Of course, the situation is far from perfect, as the team still needs an injection of offensive firepower. They’re not willing to sign an aging player to a long-term contract, the main reason why they bowed out of the race to sign Jonathan Marchessault.

Crosby is not just any aging player. He still excels in every facet of the game, and though he’s quickly approaching 40, he still qualifies as a game-changing presence. He also has the ideal experience to guide one of the youngest teams in the league to a championship.

Why Sidney Crosby Joining The Canadiens Does Not Work

If there’s any chance this scenario would some come to fruition, it may very well come down to a battle between Crosby’s mind and his heart.

We have to keep in mind Crosby is incredibly loyal, and though he and his father grew up as massive Habs fans, I don’t want to suggest he’s going to take the John Tavares pyjama-route in the near future. He understands how important he is to the Penguins, for both their on and off ice success, and he has a very good relationship with the team owner, Mario Lemieux.

Sidney Crosby in a #Habs jersey. pic.twitter.com/mMjT43NRrf

— Jen (@NHLhistorygirl) January 24, 2015

In addition, the Canadiens already have a captain who serves as the No.1 centre, the exact role Crosby has played with the Penguins for the last 20 or so years. Crosby doesn’t seem to be the type of person who would demand first-line centre duties, or the captaincy, but the leadership discussion surrounding the team would likely become complicated if he were to eventually don la Sainte-Flanellle.

ON TOPIC: Pittsburgh Penguins Discussion: Let’s Be Honest About Sidney Crosby

There’s also the risk that he may eventually hit the wall that most players slam into shortly after they turn 30, but again, Crosby is one of the best players in the history of the league. Normal statistical primes do not apply to players of his ilk.

Finally, we’d have to consider the salary cap implications, not to mention the very high cost associated with trading for an elite player. The Habs have plenty of cap space, and they do have the assets available to swing a deal if they are intent on acquiring Crosby, but they can’t sacrifice too much of their future to pave the way for a better today.

Perhaps the wisest strategy would be to see how the contract negotiations with the Penguins play out in the next few weeks. If they cannot come to an agreement on an extension, the possibility Crosby could hit the open market at the end of next season would become slightly more realistic.

But for now, this is much closer to wishful thinking for a franchise that has been let down time and again when word gets out that a top-flight player is interested in becoming a member of the Montreal Canadiens.