Sidney Crosby in a Montreal Canadiens jersey has been one of those NHL scenarios that refuses to disappear. Now there is an actual trade price attached to the fantasy.
Sports personality Sid Seixeiro has suggested the Montreal Canadiens should make a serious push for the Pittsburgh Penguins captain, proposing a package that would send top prospect Michael Hage and Montreal’s 2027 first-round pick to Pittsburgh for Crosby.
That immediately makes this more interesting than the usual Crosby-to-Montreal speculation. Hage is one of the most valuable young players in the Canadiens organization, while a future first-round pick represents another major piece of Montreal’s long-term plan. Giving up both for a 39-year-old superstar entering the final season of his contract would be an enormous decision for general manager Kent Hughes.
There is also an important reality check: this is a proposed trade, not a report that the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins are currently negotiating a Sidney Crosby deal. In fact, recent reporting surrounding Crosby’s next contract points much more strongly toward him remaining in Pittsburgh.
Could the Montreal Canadiens Actually Trade for Sidney Crosby?
Seixeiro certainly believes Montreal should investigate it. While discussing the idea, he delivered a pretty simple message for Hughes: “You gotta make one call, man. Go get Crosby.”
From my perspective, the fascinating part is not whether Montreal would want Sidney Crosby. Of course they would. The real question is whether adding Crosby today would be worth sacrificing a player who could potentially become an important top-six center for the Canadiens for the next decade.
Michael Hage was selected in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft and his development has only made the asset more valuable. Hage produced 15 points in seven games for Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championship, including 13 assists, providing another glimpse of the high-end playmaking ability that makes him such an intriguing prospect.
Put Crosby behind Nick Suzuki, however, and Montreal suddenly has something few teams could match down the middle. Martin St. Louis could deploy Suzuki and Crosby against virtually any matchup while surrounding them with players such as Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov.
For a Canadiens team trying to move from promising contender to legitimate Stanley Cup threat, that is an incredibly tempting thought.
Why Michael Hage and a 2027 First-Round Pick May Be Too Much
This is where I would hesitate if I were running the Canadiens.
Crosby is still Crosby. He recorded 29 goals and 45 assists for 74 points in only 68 games last season. That works out to roughly 1.09 points per game at an age when almost every other NHL player has already experienced a substantial decline.
But Montreal would not simply be acquiring the player Crosby is today. Hughes has to calculate how much future value he is giving Pittsburgh for what could initially be one season of Crosby.
Hage is only 20. The Canadiens selected him 21st overall in 2024, and he remains unsigned while continuing his development at Michigan. Montreal would therefore be surrendering one of its better young assets before discovering exactly what his NHL ceiling becomes.
Then add a 2027 first-round pick.
That is a substantial payment.
Sidney Crosby Career NHL Stats
| Type | GP | G | A | P | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 1420 | 654 | 1107 | 1761 | 197 |
| Playoffs | 186 | 72 | 134 | 206 | 17 |
Sidney Crosby Controls What Happens Next With the Pittsburgh Penguins
There is another obstacle that matters more than Michael Hage, draft picks or salary-cap calculations: Sidney Crosby controls the situation.
Crosby’s contract includes a full no-movement clause, meaning Pittsburgh cannot simply decide Montreal has made the best offer and send him north. Crosby would have to approve the destination.
And the most recent information surrounding his future does not point toward an imminent trade.
Crosby’s agent Pat Brisson is expected to discuss another contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins before the season, while Crosby has already indicated that he intends to continue playing beyond 2026-27. Crosby has also talked about structuring future contracts in a way that gives Pittsburgh flexibility.
That substantially lowers my probability of a Montreal trade right now.
That number would change quickly if Pittsburgh and Crosby entered training camp without progress on an extension. At that point, every contender with cap space and premium assets would have reason to at least make a phone call.
Montreal would unquestionably be one of the most fascinating possibilities.
Would I trade Michael Hage and a 2027 first-round pick for Sidney Crosby today? I would not. I would want either Pittsburgh to retain salary, the acquisition price reduced, or some confidence that Crosby planned to remain in Montreal beyond one season.
But would I call Kyle Dubas and find out whether Sidney Crosby is actually available?
Absolutely.
Players like Crosby almost never become available, and a Canadiens team built around Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, Demidov, Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson is getting close enough to contention that Hughes has earned the right to investigate a move this aggressive.
The biggest development to watch now is not another hypothetical trade package. It is Crosby’s next conversation with Pittsburgh. If another Penguins contract gets signed, the Montreal discussion essentially ends. If those negotiations unexpectedly stall, this rumor becomes significantly more interesting.
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