Crosby and his future with the Penguins

[mrcshlbrstrm*]

His contract is a joke IMO. Too much for too long for damaged goods. Nowhere in the league is it more clearly demonstrated that 'stars' can become chumps than in Pittsburgh. Guy never, NEVER drives the net like he used to. Hasn't for a long time. Guess what?? Teams in this league know that.

He's over-paid.

I do more reading than posting on HF, but posts like the above are sooo stupid. Do people even think before they type stuff?!

Sid's value will always be more than what he does or doesn't do on the ice. No Sid, no new arena, and likely no Penguins in Pittsburgh. It is one of the best contracts in the league for a player that has basically been the best player in the league his entire career. The moment he starts to struggle, all the roaches come out.

HF is really painful to read sometimes.

 

[#66]

First thing he needs to do is stop being passive aggressive and speak up if he thinks it's not working in MJ's system. It's not worth continuing on the way we've been playing the last 30 games or so going back to last season.

I know the system has been great for MaF's career, but that could be accomplished with a lot less talent and salary. Crosby, Malkin, and Kessel are being wasted in this system.

That's my biggest gripe with Sid. He needs to make this his team and leave his mark.

The firey kid that came into the league and was hated by everyone seems so listless and dull now. It sickens me to watch him like this and for the Pens to stay so motionless. Not sure how it showed on TV last night but Sid was being man handled. Clutching... late hits.... and the Pens did nothing. Not one thing...

This team is easy to play against and is a loser... A LOSER.

 

[TheSniper26]

Honestly, outside of Fleury and maybe Dumo, is anybody playing well right now? Or perhaps more accurately, is anyone playing up to their usual standard? For all the angst about Crosby, Geno has what, a whole 3 more points this season? And spare me the "he looks better" stuff. Outside of a handful of games that's been debatable and who cares anyway? Looking better means **** all if it doesn't translate to production.

What about Hornqvist and his whopping 19 goal pace? Letang looks like complete garbage. Maatta's been disappointing. Kessel's not setting the world on fire. Perron's offense has completely disappeared. Yet somehow this is a Crosby problem. That's not to say that he hasn't had a rough season. He absolutely has. But so has the entire team. It's lazy analysis to just single out one guy. Do people really believe it's just some kind of kooky coincidence that all these guys, all in their 20s and firmly still in their primes, just magically forgot how to produce at the same time? This is bigger than Crosby.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Maybe we can get Spaling and Winnik back from Toronto?

 

[Empoleon8771]

Crosby is going nowhere. Suggesting otherwise is just wrong.

 

[#66]

Honestly, outside of Fleury and maybe Dumo, is anybody playing well right now? Or perhaps more accurately, is anyone playing up to their usual standard? For all the angst about Crosby, Geno has what, a whole 3 more points this season? And spare me the "he looks better" stuff. Outside of a handful of games that's been debatable and who cares anyway? Looking better means **** all if it doesn't translate to production.

What about Hornqvist and his whopping 19 goal pace? Letang looks like complete garbage. Maatta's been disappointing. Kessel's not setting the world on fire. Perron's offense has completely disappeared. Yet somehow this is a Crosby problem. That's not to say that he hasn't had a rough season. He absolutely has. But so has the entire team. It's lazy analysis to just single out one guy. Do people really believe it's just some kind of kooky coincidence that all these guys, all in their 20s and firmly still in their primes, just magically forgot how to produce at the same time? This is bigger than Crosby.

Completely disagree. Sid being so completely disinterested in winning says everything you need to know about the Pens.

Anyone ever hear about groin injuries, flat feet and peanut butter on groins since Jags left the Pens?

 

[mrcshlbrstrm*]

Honestly, outside of Fleury and maybe Dumo, is anybody playing well right now? Or perhaps more accurately, is anyone playing up to their usual standard? For all the angst about Crosby, Geno has what, a whole 3 more points this season? And spare me the "he looks better" stuff. Outside of a handful of games that's been debatable and who cares anyway? Looking better means **** all if it doesn't translate to production.

What about Hornqvist and his whopping 19 goal pace? Letang looks like complete garbage. Maatta's been disappointing. Kessel's not setting the world on fire. Perron's offense has completely disappeared. Yet somehow this is a Crosby problem. That's not to say that he hasn't had a rough season. He absolutely has. But so has the entire team. It's lazy analysis to just single out one guy. Do people really believe it's just some kind of kooky coincidence that all these guys, all in their 20s and firmly still in their primes, just magically forgot how to produce at the same time? This is bigger than Crosby.

+1! Well said.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Honestly, outside of Fleury and maybe Dumo, is anybody playing well right now? Or perhaps more accurately, is anyone playing up to their usual standard? For all the angst about Crosby, Geno has what, a whole 3 more points this season? And spare me the "he looks better" stuff. Outside of a handful of games that's been debatable and who cares anyway? Looking better means **** all if it doesn't translate to production.

What about Hornqvist and his whopping 19 goal pace? Letang looks like complete garbage. Maatta's been disappointing. Kessel's not setting the world on fire. Perron's offense has completely disappeared. Yet somehow this is a Crosby problem. That's not to say that he hasn't had a rough season. He absolutely has. But so has the entire team. It's lazy analysis to just single out one guy. Do people really believe it's just some kind of kooky coincidence that all these guys, all in their 20s and firmly still in their primes, just magically forgot how to produce at the same time? This is bigger than Crosby.

All true. But Crosby's held to an exceptionally high standard, because he's "the best player in the world" and looks like a mediocre 2nd line center this season.

We expect him to rise above his circumstances, like "the best player in the world" would. It's that title that's on the line right now.

This was supposed to be the year when he set the league on fire since we finally got an elite goal-scoring winger who can create on his own, either helping Sid directly or opening up better match-ups for him to exploit. Instead, he's 3rd in team scoring and being outpaced by a Kessel-free Bozak.

 

[TheSniper26]

All true. But Crosby's held to an exceptionally high standard, because he's "the best player in the world" and looks like a mediocre 2nd line center this season.

We expect him to rise above his circumstances, like "the best player in the world" would. It's that title that's on the line right now.

This was supposed to be the year when he set the league on fire since we finally got an elite goal-scoring winger who can create on his own, either helping Sid directly or opening up better match-ups for him to exploit. Instead, he's 3rd in team scoring and being outpaced by a Kessel-free Bozak.

The problem I have with this is that this board often tries to have it both ways with the "best player in the world" thing. People on here routinely argue that Sid and Geno are equals. Actually, this board tends to lean heavily towards Geno a lot of the time and many argue that Geno is the superior player. The number of "this is Geno's team" or "Geno's the true leader" posts on here is pretty high. And that's fine. But despite arguing that they're equals, nobody seems to hold Geno to that "best in the world" standard. Only Crosby.

So which is it? Are Sid/Geno equals or are we holding Crosby to a higher standard? Can't have it both ways. Besides, Crosby being held to a higher standard doesn't change my point that, when everybody has seen their production fall off a cliff at the same time, the problem clearly goes far beyond any individual player. It may be more alarming in Crosby's case because we're so used to him outpacing the field but it's still just emblematic of a bigger, team-wide problem.

 

[mpp9]

Under MJ, they've been equals aside from Sid being better at faceoffs. If Malkin would dedicate himself to getting better at that, I think he could surpass Sid. In this NHL, Malkin is more easily able to make things happen on his own.

 

[AJRAYMOND]

The problem I have with this is that this board often tries to have it both ways with the "best player in the world" thing. People on here routinely argue that Sid and Geno are equals. Actually, this board tends to lean heavily towards Geno a lot of the time and many argue that Geno is the superior player. The number of "this is Geno's team" or "Geno's the true leader" posts on here is pretty high. And that's fine. But despite arguing that they're equals, nobody seems to hold Geno to that "best in the world" standard. Only Crosby.

So which is it? Are Sid/Geno equals or are we holding Crosby to a higher standard? Can't have it both ways. Besides, Crosby being held to a higher standard doesn't change my point that, when everybody has seen their production fall off a cliff at the same time, the problem clearly goes far beyond any individual player. It may be more alarming in Crosby's case because we're so used to him outpacing the field but it's still just emblematic of a bigger, team-wide problem.

The team has always catered to Crosby. That's always been the problem. When the team wins it's all Crosby and when the team loses it's Crosby+Malkin with Fleury as a side whipping boy. When Sid can't score it's everybody else's problem but when he leads the league in scoring it's in spite of his teammates and they get no credit (Kunitz). That's always been the problem with the Pens. That's why no free agents want to go there. One guy gets all the credit for wins but everyone else takes the shaft for the losses. The Pens are in big time trouble. They might make the playoffs with this team but they aren't fooling anybody. They might as well shake it up right now.

 

[Night Shift]

If fans want to make a difference it's not going to be through these message boards. It has to be through Consol. BOOOO the hell out of the team in general for their lack of effort... BOOOO Kunitz, Scuds every time they touch the puck... start Morehouse sucks chants...Maybe..just Stop going to games This is how you get their attention.

 

[crawz87]

If fans want to make a difference it's not going to be through these message boards. It has to be through Consol. BOOOO the hell out of the team in general for their lack of effort... BOOOO Kunitz, Scuds every time they touch the puck... start Morehouse sucks chants...Stop going to games This is how you get their attention.

And chant MJ sucks!

 

[vodeni]

shut this down. Sid is going nowhere. He'll be fine as soon as the change in management is made

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

The team has always catered to Crosby. That's always been the problem. When the team wins it's all Crosby and when the team loses it's Crosby+Malkin with Fleury as a side whipping boy. When Sid can't score it's everybody else's problem but when he leads the league in scoring it's in spite of his teammates and they get no credit (Kunitz). That's always been the problem with the Pens. That's why no free agents want to go there. One guy gets all the credit for wins but everyone else takes the shaft for the losses. The Pens are in big time trouble. They might make the playoffs with this team but they aren't fooling anybody. They might as well shake it up right now.

This is absolute nonsense. You're pretty much making up the bolded since I've never seen a single article, tweet, or post on here that credits Crosby and only Crosby when they win. And Crosby (along with Malkin) have been the whipping boys for the past couple of playoff losses, even though Crosby was actually one of the best players in last season's first round loss.

 

[Night Shift]

shut this down. Sid is going nowhere. He'll be fine as soon as the change in management is made

Why does he need a change in management to be back to his old self? it almost sounds like an excuse to not compete.

Edit: even though myself and many fans agree change is in need, it should not stop the current team from desire to compete to WIN

 

[Sam Spade]

Retires a Penguin. End of story.

This.

 

[WayneSid9987]

When the MJ's and Scuderi's and Kunitz's and Dupuis's are long gone and Mario isn't around, if the team is still going no where fast, i think you may see Sid wanting out.

Not now though.

 

[DrunkPenguin]

Honestly, outside of Fleury and maybe Dumo, is anybody playing well right now? Or perhaps more accurately, is anyone playing up to their usual standard? For all the angst about Crosby, Geno has what, a whole 3 more points this season? And spare me the "he looks better" stuff. Outside of a handful of games that's been debatable and who cares anyway? Looking better means **** all if it doesn't translate to production.

What about Hornqvist and his whopping 19 goal pace? Letang looks like complete garbage. Maatta's been disappointing. Kessel's not setting the world on fire. Perron's offense has completely disappeared. Yet somehow this is a Crosby problem. That's not to say that he hasn't had a rough season. He absolutely has. But so has the entire team. It's lazy analysis to just single out one guy. Do people really believe it's just some kind of kooky coincidence that all these guys, all in their 20s and firmly still in their primes, just magically forgot how to produce at the same time? This is bigger than Crosby.

Great post. I agree.

 

[billybudd]

Penguins can't initiate a trade with Crosby. Forget the wisdom of such a move on the ice; in terms of optics, it would be a nightmare. They'd have to spend a year waging a shadow PR war that would probably be countered by Brisson and his allies in the Canadian media before they would even be in a position to suggest a parting of the ways. This sort of messiness is not what you want when you're selling something.

Having said that, if Crosby finishes the season with, like, 45 points and the team either misses the playoffs or gets bounced in the first round, I would not be remotely surprised if his people talk him into requesting a trade over the summer (even though I don't think this will do any good if he were to play the same way with the Habs).

 

[Night Shift]

Penguins can't initiate a trade with Crosby. Forget the wisdom of such a move on the ice; in terms of optics, it would be a nightmare. They'd have to spend a year waging a shadow PR war that would probably be countered by Brisson and his allies in the Canadian media before they would even be in a position to suggest a parting of the ways. This sort of messiness is not what you want when you're selling something.

Having said that, if Crosby finishes the season with, like, 45 points and the team either misses the playoffs or gets bounced in the first round, I would not be remotely surprised if his people talk him into requesting a trade over the summer (even though I don't think this will do any good if he were to play the same way with the Habs).

If a trade is inevitable, The Penguins will get a nice return.

 

[Terrapin]

shut this down. Sid is going nowhere. He'll be fine as soon as the change in management is made

I thought he was going to be fine once he got good wingers?

 

[SirBrad]

Anytime I see these reports from the media in Canada I assume there is some sense of wishfulness behind the comments. Always subconsciously hoping Crosby plays his home games in Canada one day.

 

[plaidchuck]

I always thought malkin would go first, but anything's possible.

 

[Headshot77]

Man, looking long-term, it would probably be wise to tear it all down and obtain a few bluechip prospects rather than watch this stale core fail for another five years.