Talks of Crosby and Malkin getting offered to leave Pittsburgh arise

General manager Jim Rutherford’s sudden departure was a bomb in the National Hockey League earlier this week and apparently, fans might have to get ready for more. 

We might be on the verge of a significant rebuilding process in Pittsburgh, so much that it sounds like some insiders believe captain Sidney Crosby and star player Evegni Malkin might joined the conversation in the front office to see if they are interested in taking part in the pending major changes. Here is how Darren Dreger explained it last night on Insider Trading on TSN: 

“We have to see how the rest of the season goes. If the Penguins don’t qualify for the playoffs or they don’t do well in the playoffs, I think there is the potential for a seismic shift. If new management comes on board and says look we have to embrace a renovation here, the Penguins as an organization owe it to Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and to some degree, Kris Letang, to have a conversation and say this is the direction that we’re going in. Now, Malkin has one more year after this season remaining on his contract, but do those players, especially Sidney Crosby, want to chase a Stanley Cup elsewhere, or is retiring as a Pittsburgh Penguin equally important? The direction of the club of the next two years is going to determine how that discussion goes as early as this summer. But, imagine if those names were in play at some point in the near future?”

This would be a tough blow for the Penguins, who basically won the lottery back in 2005 when they come out on top of the draft order and were given Sidney Crosby as the strongest rebuilding tool. 

Now that he’s been the face of the franchise for 16 seasons, it would be so weird to see him wear the colours of a different NHL club. However, if he looks to win another Stanley Cup before hanging up the skates he might not get a choice. 

And imagine if Geno does not re-sign with the Penguins or if they choose to trade him before losing him to free agency? Would Sid even want to stay with a less competitive team if his Russian star teammate is gone? 

There are a lot of questions - and scary ones - to come in Pittsburgh. But it all starts with who takes the seat as general manager of the team and what changes get done then.