Of course, because, you know, if he signs somewhere or if he gets traded or whatever, however, the McIntyre, I guess it would be a trade in this case, he's under contract, but he's going to a contender. We can safely say if he leaves Pittsburgh, if he's going to take that huge step in his life and his career, he's going somewhere he believes he can win. So one of the best teams in the league is adding him, and then the questions are, how effective can he still be? How does he fit in? What's it like just him playing somewhere where he isn't maybe the man, where he's been the man in Pittsburgh since he was the kid, right? He took over that team. He was named captain after his first season. He's, he's been the absolute heart and soul fabric of that organization for so, like, I bet he can't even imagine a world somewhere else. But if he peeks behind that curtain and he goes, I'm with you. Look, I would never hold it against any athlete who makes that decision in his shoes, by the way, because I think of Jerome McGinler, still a legend in Calgary, right?

But absolutely, he had a little world tour at the end of his career, trying to chase a cup. Wasn't successful in getting it, but he played in multiple places, and I don't think anyone begrudges him for it. He's still welcome back as a flames legend. Can work for the know. I think that the same door would be extended to if he, as weird as it would be to see him in other colors, if he wants to retire in Pittsburgh, if he wants to go work for the Penguins, if he wants to own the team, whatever. I don't know what his ambitions are beyond playing, but he could do all those things and nobody would bat an eye, I think. I mean, really, it's pretty rare. The athlete that spends one whole career in one place. Mario Lemieux did it. But part of that might have also just been because of the health issues and all the things he had time know. Had he been healthy that whole time, perhaps he would have went somewhere else. I mean, yarmir Yagur, look at the ceremony they just had for him. And he's played. He's still playing, but he played many, many years, and he played for many, many teams in different countries.

And, mean, I just think that fans will still love him unconditionally if he does it. I don't know if he's ever going to get there, though. Did you see the answer he had post game by the way in Edmonton, he was asked about the trade deadline and I don't have the exact quote in front of me, but it was clear he doesn't even want to entertain the idea of all the stuff we talked about at the start of the segment about trading his teammates. Well, that makes sense.

That makes sense considering what he said to rob Rossi a couple of weeks ago, too, right?

He's so in it. He so just wants to believe that they're right around the corner from an eight game winning streak and they could. I mean, look, they still have some games in hand. Like, it's not impossible. I just think the writing is on the wall. It's hard to put together an eight game winning streak because they're kind of at best, middle of the road team and at worst, they're a bottom ten team in the league. And, man, if they finish in the slot where they get the 11th overall pick that goes right to San Jose, they don't get any say in it.

I'll say this in terms of getting ahead of ourselves, I think we're trying to do a good job of showing restraint on matter. I think it's already started where other people are not showing that restraint. I fully expect, and I don't mean to put this into his head, but I fully expect, like producer drew to put together like a photoshop of Sidney Crosby wearing a Colorado avalanche jersey playing alongside his budy Nathan McKinnon. Someone's going to do it.

And that's probably what makes the most sense, right? If he were ever to go, he's got to go somewhere where there's comfort. And I think there'd be a lot of comfort in playing with mean. It would be cool. Look at LeBron has now the NBA is totally different. I get it. But, like, LeBron has his success, right? He's played all over the place and he went back to Cleveland and won in like, I, I don't see anything wrong with it. I think it's just realistic. Now you're talking to a guy who's worked basically everywhere you can work in canadian sports media. So maybe, maybe I'm influenced by the fact, right? Maybe I'm influenced by the fact that I actually think sometimes a change can be healthy for you. I think it can energize you. I think it can do something for his career. You know, that Sidney Crosby, he's staying on at least one more season beyond his contract because, you know, he's going to be at the 2026 Olympics. He's going to do everything he can to put himself in position to be the captain of that team, to go for a third Olympic gold medal.

So at minimum, I think he's got the year after this one and the year after that minimum. And as I say, I think he can play well beyond that if his heart's in it and if his health holds up. So he might have to go somewhere else to find that competitive juice to be at his best to push himself. I think his mind, though, that's going to be a real. I bet he's never even thought about.

It because that's the way I'm going to believe that.

That's the way you have to be. First of all, he's been on a team even up until last year, that every year you're like, okay, maybe the Penguins can go on a run. They've never been in this position. It's kind of the point I'm hammering home. Even last season they missed the playoffs, but it wasn't the same as this. The writing has been on a wall for a long time and this road trip just sealed it about where this team is this year. And it's further back than it's ever been since Sid's rookie year. And so this is the first time these conversations are being had out in public because it's starting to become real, right? And so I think that will be the adjustment. I remember years ago when Daniel Alfredson left Ottawa and he signed in Detroit. It was kind of a like right. Right up until the end, even though he was a free agent, everybody just assumed it was going to get worked out. I mean, franchise know Daniel Alfredson. I know he's now in the coaching staff of the centers, but he's continued to live in Ottawa the whole time.

Ottawa was truly home for him. And I remember him saying something to the effect of it got to that window when they still had the window where you could talk to other teams and all of a sudden he's like talking to other gms and coaches and he's like imagining himself in another uniform. He kind of said something to the effect of remembers when he opened the door and looked through it for the first time. Imagine what his world would be. It was almost like he couldn't go back. Once he allowed himself to think like, wow, what would it be like to play somewhere else? And he went and played the last two seasons in Detroit, and I think the same could be true of Sydney. I bet he's never really even thought about it for more than like a second or someone might have made a joke one of his budies might make a joke to him over a beer one day or whatever, but I bet he's actually never sat down as a productive exercise and been like, where else would I play? But if he gets to that point, this offseason could be interesting.

I think a lot has to happen between then, now. And, man, here we are, four days from the trade deadline, and we're talking about a trade that we don't think is likely going to happen. But it could happen. And if it happened, it would be crazy in the summer.

But we know that if it gets to that point, I know we ran long on this segment, but I think it's well worth it, because we know that if it ever gets to a point where it's a genuine possibility, it's the biggest story in the league. Absolutely.