The Pittsburgh Penguins parted ways with a key member of their core on Thursday, offloading star winger Jake Guentzel in a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Hurricanes ahead of Friday’s deadline.
The trade was finalized following the games of both teams on Friday, and after the Penguins’ brutal 6–0 defeat against the Washington Capitals, Sidney Crosby didn’t offer too much insight on his thoughts on the decision to move on from his longtime teammate.
“I don’t know,” said Crosby, when asked what message GM Kyle Dubas and Pittsburgh’s management were sending by dealing the 29-year-old to Carolina, via The Athletic.
“He’s a great teammate, a friend. I think he did everything he possibly could in his time here. It was just a privilege to play with him for the course of time. Some great memories,” added Crosby. “It was privilege. That’s all I can say.”
In February, Crosby told The Athletic that a Guentzel trade wouldn’t impact his desire to remain with the Penguins for the rest of his career
Guenztel and Crosby have been teammates since the 2016-17 season when the former debuted in the NHL. They won the Stanley Cup in Guentzel’s rookie season, marking the third championship of Crosby’s career.
With Pittsburgh effectively falling out of the playoff race amid a disappointing run, which included five losses in the last six games, the team opted to cash in on Guentzel’s value at the trade deadline rather than risk losing him for free in the offseason, when he’s due to be an unrestricted free agent.
