What did the Jets do with the D.J. Reed compensatory pick?
What did the Jets do with their compensatory pick for D.J. Reed?
The Pittsburgh Penguins are down 3-0 in their playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers, raising questions about Sidney Crosby's future. Fans wonder if this could be Crosby's final playoff game or even his last game with the Penguins.
Sidney Crosby IMAGN 042526
Could this be Sidney Crosby's final playoff game? Or possibly his final game with the Penguins? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Pittsburgh Penguins exceeded the expectations of many who believed they wouldnât be a Stanley Cup playoff team this season. But in their first-round matchup against their arch-rival Philadelphia Flyers, the Penguins have been exposed â too old, too slow, too inferior in net â and the Pens are now down 3-0 in the series with the Flyers.
The end appears near for Pittsburgh, and that brings to mind questions nobody on the Penguins wants to ask â and thatâs regarding the future of Penguins superstar center Sidney Crosby: Are we watching the final playoff games of Crosbyâs Hockey-Hall-of-Fame career? And if this is how Crosbyâs playoff experience ends, is it going to color his legacy negatively?
To answer the first question â yes, this could likely be Crosbyâs final few games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Heâs 38 years old, and the Penguins are in the early stages of a major rebuild. Itâs entirely likely that Pittsburgh finishes out of the playoff mix next season, and itâs just as likely that the Penguins fail to make the playoffs the year after that.
The Pens can barely keep up with the young Flyers in these playoffs, and the Metropolitan Division has several teams that will pass Pittsburgh in the standings sooner rather than later, beginning next season. The trajectory the Pens are on is not a good one.
There are concerns that this could be Sidney Crosby's final playoff game as the Penguins are down 3-0 in the series.
The Penguins have been criticized for being too old, too slow, and having inferior goaltending in their playoff matchup.
If Crosby's playoff experience ends poorly, it could negatively impact his legacy as a Hockey Hall of Fame player.
The Penguins are currently down 3-0 in their first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers.
What did the Jets do with their compensatory pick for D.J. Reed?
Highlights from Iowa Hawkeyes' spring practice flood social media
What compensatory pick did the 49ers get for Talanoa Hufanga?
What did the 49ers do with Charvarius Ward's compensatory pick?
What did the Eagles do with the compensatory pick for Josh Sweat?
UFC star Arman Tsarukyan receives a prestigious honour from the Los Angeles City Council.
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
But letâs say Crosby has one more playoff push in him. If he and the Penguins can exceed expectations this year, they might exceed expectations next year as well. Unfortunately, the future of Pittsburgh icon Evgeni Malkin may result in Malkinâs retirement this summer, and fellow core member Kris Letangâs game has fallen off considerably, as heâs a minus-five and pointless in three playoff games against the Flyers this year.
So, unless he intends to go on a Jaromir-Jagr-like NHL run into his mid-forties, the end of his playoff days is coming up fast on Crosby. With every shift that Crosby takes, the road ahead for him and the Pens is splitting into two, with each road moving farther away from the other day by day.
The Penguins have to do whatâs in their best interests, and the same goes for Crosby. While it seems blasphemous to envision Crosby in another teamâs uniform, the truth is that the best opportunity for Crosby to win one more Cup almost assuredly will be with a team other than Pittsburgh.
MORE:Â Despite Kyle Dubas' Roster Rejuvenation, The Penguins Are Still In Trouble If Crosby Can't Score
But if that doesnât happen and Crosby stays loyal to the Pens, Crosby wouldnât be the first NHL legend whose playoff career ends with a disappointing thud. In fact, most legends go out that way. Itâs exceedingly rare for players to win a Cup, then call it a career. Crosby may go out without playing another playoff game after this Flyers series.
As one of the sportâs all-time greats, Crosby deserves all the flowers we can give him while heâs still playing. If these are his final handful of playoff games, we should be giving him thunderous standing ovations at every opportunity. It doesnât matter if youâre a fan of the Penguins or a fan of any other NHL team â you owe a few hand-claps to a player who has been one of the best ambassadors the sport has ever seen.
Crosby will be a first-ballot, no-brainer Hall-of-Fame pick because heâs done the right thing 99.9 percent of the time. If these are the final times we get to see him participating in the toughest tournament on the planet, we need to say thanks for the great memories heâs given us.