While Sidney Crosby agreed to a two-year contract extension in September that included a full no-trade clause and could keep him with the Pittsburgh Penguins through at least the 2026-27 NHL season, the struggles the Penguins have endured from October through Monday's 2-1 loss to the lowly San Jose Sharks (15-32-6) resulted in Crosby being the subject of trade rumors for the second consecutive winter.

This is a difficult period in Sidney Crosby ’s career. There’s no winning in the world of the player whom Mike Babcock once famously and accurately described as a “serial winner.” Instead, there’s frustration,

It’s no secret how important Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin is to his team. The future Hall of Famer is one of the best players of his generation. And he continues to play at a high level even in the latter stages of his career.