Sidney Crosby reportedly considering leaving the Pittsburgh Penguins

According to Elliotte Friedman on the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, the Penguins have made multiple extension offers to Crosby, but he hasn't yet decided what he wants to do in the final year of his current contract. Friedman mentioned that Crosby may not be okay with the team not making the playoffs to close out his career.

At 37 years old, Crosby is still one of the top players in the NHL. He scored 42 goals and 94 points last season, doing his absolute best to pull the Penguins to the playoffs. Pittsburgh has now missed the playoffs for the last two seasons, and their heavily aging core doesn't inspire any confidence that will change.

Now in the final year of his contract with the Penguins, Crosby has the power to dictate where he will end his career. As a highly competitive person, he simply might not be okay with playing on a non-playoff team, and could request a trade.

Josh Yohe of TSN has also corroborated reports of Crosby being unsure of next season, and has suggested that Crosby could briefly leave the Penguins in a trade and re-sign scenario. It's possible that the Penguins could trade Crosby to a contender for this season, recoup some assets for a rebuild, and when he is ready to retire, re-sign with Pittsburgh for one more year. Yohe named the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, and Winnipeg Jets as potential suitors for Crosby at the trade deadline.

After playing 19 season with the Penguins, it'd be shocking to see Sidney Crosby on any other team. Whatever decision he makes on his future, hockey fans should respect it and be grateful to watch the final years of a legendary career. It would be a storybook ending to see him win another Stanley Cup and return to the Penguins for one more tour.

Source for Crosby Stats: PuckPedia - Sidney Crosby