Penguins mailbag: Why did Sidney Crosby’s agent say that? What’s a successful season?

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Training camp is well underway and, believe it or not, the puck drops in Madison Square Garden for the Penguins’ season opener in a mere 13 days.

Do you know what all of this means? It means we’re way overdue for a mailbag.

As always, thank you for all of the thoughtful questions. Away we go.

What constitutes success for the Penguins this season? — @jlkaplan7

This is a great question. Simple but deep.

The odds of the Penguins making the playoffs are very poor, and, frankly, it can be argued that reaching the postseason isn’t ideal for this team’s big picture.

What You Should Read Next

What I’m hearing about the Penguins: Who’s making an impression on new coach Dan Muse?

Don't be surprised if the Penguins look younger on opening night than expected.

To me, it’s about individuals. Do Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty continue to show they belong in the NHL? If Harrison Brunicke gets to play at the NHL level this season, does he look like he belongs? Will Avery Hayes blossom into a latter-day Max Talbot? Regardless of which level he’s playing at this season, will Sergei Murashov continue to produce video game numbers?

If all of those things happen — or most of them do — I think the season was probably a success. It’s all about the long game.

Do you think the purpose of the comments coming from Sid’s agent was his way of telling Dubas to not trade Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust? We know Sid is a creature of habit and he doesn’t like change. — @Puck66

Yes, I think this is the case.

Pat Brisson said plenty of interesting things during his interview with Pierre LeBrun. I sense that Brisson probably would have handled some things differently if he could turn back time. But I also think Brisson will be very unhappy if the Penguins trade Rakell or Rust.

I don’t think there’s much question that Sidney Crosby won’t be thrilled if either of his wingers leaves town.

It’s a good thing Kyle Dubas makes the big bucks because he has some interesting decisions to make. Dubas works for the Penguins, not for Brisson, so I believe he will act accordingly. But still, no one wants to make Crosby unhappy. It’s not an easy situation for anyone.

Do you think Geno and Sid finish the year in Pittsburgh? — @JagrHabs

I do. Crosby, in my opinion, isn’t going anywhere, despite the recent comments from Brisson.

I’d also be surprised if Evgeni Malkin were to be dealt. It’s possible. Malkin’s comments last week were very interesting. He was pretty vulnerable in discussing the reality that he isn’t quite sure what he’ll do if another team comes calling.

Go deeper

Bryan Rust, a very proud Pittsburgh Penguin, never wants to play anywhere else

Bryan Rust knows his name is on the trade block, but he'd love to give back to the organization that made him who he is.

But remember:

• Malkin said his preference is to play for only one NHL team.

• The possibility always exists that the Penguins will be better than expected this season, which would make the idea of trading Malkin moot.

• Malkin owns a no-movement clause and, even if he were willing to go elsewhere, I’d imagine the list of teams he’d be willing to play for would be quite small.

• Are we sure some of the NHL’s best teams would want Malkin at this stage? Florida has been mentioned by some people because Malkin lives there. I get it. But have you seen the way the Panthers play? Would he fit there? I’m not so sure.

Josh hear me out. The Pens are eight points out of the playoffs. Trade Sid at his request to a contender with 2 playoff runs left on his contract. Pens get a bounty on the return. Sid returns at age 40 as a free agent and leads them back to the promised land. Who says no? — @vincelaboon

It’s a compelling storyline and not the worst idea. I would guess that, in the end, Crosby would say no.

Sid. McDavid. MacKinnon. Game 7. Is Sid still the guy you want in that situation of the three? He is for me. — @LetsTalkPIT

Historically speaking, no question. But it’s not like Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon don’t have any clutch moments on their resumes. They most certainly do.

Also, as good as Crosby was in the 4 Nations Face-Off, I thought McDavid and MacKinnon were the better players in the championship game.

I hear what you’re saying, and I’d never bet against Crosby on the biggest of stages. But I think you’d be safe with any of those three leading the way.

Will a basic fan be able to see the difference in coaching styles from Sully to Muse in the games, or is it a more subtle change that might only be noticeable at practices? — @stefdin

It’s too early to say. One thing that’s pretty clear to me in the early going, based on what I’ve seen in drills and scrimmages, is that you won’t be seeing defensemen recklessly pinch like you have in recent seasons.

I suspect that you’re going to see a more conservative style under Dan Muse. But I need a few more games and a few more practices to analyze the system before we can really get into the nuances.

The Pens are looking at $50+ million in cap space next year, but how do you expect them to actually use that? There weren’t many great UFAs available this past year, teams weren’t paying much to dump contracts, and trading for RFAs cost a ton of assets? — @DanHoppOPS

I have long stated that I believe they will turn aggressive in the summer of 2026, and I still feel that way. How aggressive? That depends. But if you see young players developing over the next nine months, and if the Penguins continue to acquire future assets, you’ll see them take a step in 2026.

This doesn’t mean Dubas will spend foolishly next summer. He’s not a fan of spending outrageous amounts of money on July 1, primarily because it’s burned him in the past. See Graves, Ryan.

But the Penguins will spend money next summer. I’d expect Dubas to identify his biggest organizational weaknesses — the left side of the blue line comes to mind — and spend some money there.

Also, much of this depends on what they get in the first round of the 2026 draft. If they find their center of the future, for instance, then replacing Malkin isn’t a free-agency concern. But if they don’t, and a legitimate No. 2 center is out there? I could see them being aggressive.

When do you feel like we will start seeing further traction on any of Rust, Raks or Erik Karlsson? — @PensNHLFan

Probably when the season starts. Those talks aren’t going away. Dubas has made it clear that he’s open for business.

What will the league do for revenue once they can no longer justify expansion? (I can make the case there’s not enough talent with 32 teams now). — @dannydruff

This question made me laugh. I think they’ll just keep expanding over and over again. Ticket prices going higher will put hockey fans directly into bankruptcy.

Josh, if the Penguins ended up not offering Malkin a new contract by the end of this year and another NHL team does, do you think Geno would play for another team or call it a career? — @EricWall283961

It depends on who is interested and how well he plays this season. But I’m guessing he’ll never play elsewhere and that he will retire following this season.

Are there any other stories to write other than various versions of: Crosby trade will he/won’t he, goalies stink, D stinks worse, Malkin farewell, tank for McKenna, sale by Fenway? — @Fattashi 

Well, sure, there are plenty. And I’ll do my best to tell them all. But the ones you mentioned are pretty important and will take up a chunk of my time.

There’s no way Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke aren’t in the opening night lineup? — @MisFits5thHills

I don’t think it’s a lock that Brunicke is in the opening-night lineup. He is off to a strong start in camp, though, and I believe that, at worst, he’s one of the Penguins’ best six defensemen.

Pickering is going to make the team, whether on merit or by default, because the left side of the blue line is so bad.

I’ll guess that they both make the team, but that’s only a guess in Brunicke’s case. I could certainly see him getting a nine-game tryout run, if nothing else.

What’s the most difficult story you’ve written? You can define difficult however you like, be it emotionally, challenging, infuriating, whatever. — @cwhitney29

A couple of articles come to mind. Back in 2011 and 2012, I wrote a considerable number of articles about Crosby’s concussion. That was rough. The Penguins were ultra-touchy during that time. So were people in Crosby’s camp. It had to be written about, but I’m not a doctor, so figuring out what was appropriate and accurate to write from a medical standpoint was really hard. No matter what I wrote, either the team or Sid’s camp or the fans would be irritated with me. Yet I had to write about it, you know? It wasn’t a fun time for the captain. And that’s what matters, since we’re talking about health. But it wasn’t a fun thing to write about, either.

I’d also mention that Jim Rutherford’s abrupt resignation wasn’t a blast to write about. It came out of nowhere and caught everyone off guard. Everyone was so vague about what happened. It was during a COVID-19 surge, so we couldn’t talk to anyone in person about it. And on a personal level, I’m not afraid to admit I have a deep fondness for Jim. So, I was sad to see him go. You’re supposed to be objective in my line of work, and I think I’m good at that. I’ve certainly been critical of Jim for some of the moves he’s made. However, I do have a close relationship with him. We’re still humans, you know? And if you know Jim, you like him. So, it wasn’t pleasant writing about the strange departure of a person I very much enjoyed covering daily.

Do you believe we live in a timeline where Sidney Crosby will wear a different NHL jersey? I certainly hope not. — @T_S_M

I think you are safe.

Your bio says you like ’90s music. Do you like Oasis? — @trevorburtonn

Of course, I like Oasis. What ’90s kid doesn’t? “Don’t Look Back in Anger” is my favorite Oasis song. Good to see them making a comeback, until the next brotherly feud ensues.

Thanks for all of the questions, everyone. An abundance of Penguins articles is on the way. Hockey season is here.

(Photo of Sidney Crosby: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)