Sidney Crosby acknowledged the trade chatter surrounding him as the Penguins enter a third straight playoff drought. At 38, he remains under a team‑friendly extension through 2026-27 with a no‑movement clause that keeps him at the center of Pittsburgh’s plans. He stresses the goal to win every game and lean on a hungry, younger locker room as the franchise rebuilds around him.

Penguins management signaled a shift at the deadline by moving veterans, with Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson among players floated as possible trades. Crosby’s presence—combined with potential moves—keeps Montreal and Colorado in the conversation given his ties and the league’s shifting dynamics. Crosby calls the noise part of the reality of losing, but his focus remains on performance and learning in a new era.

Sidney Crosby faces trade chatter as the Penguins enter a rebuild, yet he remains laser-focused on winning and leading a youthful, hungry roster. His no-movement clause and a team-friendly extension through 2027 keep him in Pittsburgh, even as rumors link him to Colorado or Montreal. The situation highlights the delicate balance between a veteran cornerstone and a franchise shifting its core.

For fantasy managers, Crosby’s presence shapes line combos, power-play opportunities, and the upside for Penguins youngsters. If he stays, Pittsburgh’s veteran leadership could bolster dynasty value; if a move happens, the surrounding cast—Rust, Rakell, Karlsson—could rise or fall depending on the new environment and roles around Crosby.

Rakell, Rust and Karlsson headline Penguins trade chatter as Pittsburgh weighs a potential rebuild versus a playoff push, with sky-high asking prices slowing moves. Acciari, Graves and Jarry are also in play, while Arturs Silovs adds goalie-market intrigue. Ownership chatter looms, and multiple outlets point to a broader asset-gathering effort as the goalie market and draft leverage come into play. Flames, Canadiens, Sharks, Devils and Wild are floated as potential partners in any larger exit.

The piece stresses that market dynamics could tilt toward maximizing future draft assets, not immediate gains, even as the Penguins sit on the cusp of contention. Fantasy managers should watch for shifting roles, potential line changes, and how goaltending depth could reshape daily-roster decisions if a move triggers a goalie shuffle.

Mason McTavish and the Ducks are at odds over term as training camp approaches, signaling a prolonged negotiation that could influence his fantasy ceiling and Anaheim’s long-term cap plan.

Elliotte Friedman’s latest Thoughts compiles a web of rumors—from Zegras and Drysdale’s 2023 bridge deals to the wider mock trades involving Karlsson, Rakell, Rust and Hoglander—highlighting how camp chatter could shift rosters and fantasy value.

NHL and NHLPA’s Milan stop launches a first-of-its-kind cross-sport activation with Serie A clubs Inter and Milan, spotlighting a shared global fan pulse for hockey and soccer. In a week of events in Milan, 26 NHL stars will mingle with European soccer icons, with a focus on Olympic visibility ahead of Milano Cortina 2026. Seven players named to preliminary Olympic rosters—Aho, Heiskanen, Seider, Raymond, Hischier, Nylander, and Zibanejad—anchor the roster as Inter hosts a training session and Milan’s opener vs Cremonese. The journey includes jersey exchanges with Serie A legends and a broadcaster summit to amplify cross-border storytelling.

The alliance aims to translate on-field star power into digital and live experiences for fantasy audiences and global fans, leveraging both leagues’ brands and broadcast ecosystems. A historic jersey swap at MSG from a March 2025 moment between Mika Zibanejad and Pirlo/Materazzi underscored the ambition to fuse hockey and soccer narratives. As Milan pivots toward 2025–26, the collaboration is framed as a blueprint for cross-sport engagement, talent mobility, and a broader, more immersive fan experience that transcends traditional league boundaries.