Picture of Sidney Crosby in Maple Leafs jersey renews speculation

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was featured in an evidently AI-altered photograph donning a Maple Leafs jersey.

The picture, nevertheless, has set off wild speculation about Crosby potentially coming to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Here’s a look at the picture:

But let’s get one thing clear. The official narrative is that Sidney Crosby isn’t going anywhere. He’s under contract for two more seasons in Pittsburgh and has a full no-movement clause.

Supposing that Crosby were willing to waive his no-movement clause, there’s no guarantee he would choose Toronto. The most common destinations thrown around have been Montreal and Colorado.

Both places make sense to a certain extent. The connection to Colorado is based on Crosby’s relationship with Nathan MacKinnon. Meanwhile, the link to Montreal goes even deeper, as Crosby’s father was drafted by the Habs.

Given those connections, why would Crosby choose Toronto of all places? Why not a team like the Florida Panthers? Perhaps the Dallas Stars or Vegas Golden Knights could make more sense.

But then again, Crosby isn’t chasing a Cup. He’s got three already. Perhaps making a move to Toronto would be about going down in the history books as the all-time greatest NHLer.

Think about it.

Wayne Gretzky broke countless records and won four Cups in Edmonton. He’s considered the greatest player of all time, but some questions linger. Now, imagine if Gretzky had come to Toronto in 1996. Furthermore, imagine if Gretzky had won a Cup with the Maple Leafs then.

His legacy as the all-time greatest would be indisputable.

In a sense, Crosby moving to Toronto would be like Mark Messier heading to New York. He already had five Cup rings. But it was that last one with the Rangers that solidified his legacy. There was no doubt that Messier could with without Gretzky.

So, having Crosby win a Cup in Toronto, without Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, would prove to the NHL world that he’s the best of all time.

What would a Maple Leafs trade for Crosby look like?

That’s a tough question to answer. The Penguins could demand a king’s ransom for Crosby simply because he’s still playing at an elite level. He’s not a washed-up 37-year-old former MVP.

Crosby proved he can hang with the best at the 4 Nations Face-Off this past season. He’ll get another shot at proving it in Milano-Cortina during the 2026 Olympics.

There’s no doubt that Crosby is still among the league’s best. It’s that situation which would make it prohibitively expensive for the Maple Leafs to trade for Crosby.

But then again, Crosby holds the key to the trade. The Maple Leafs might be able to get away with making a lowball offer if Crosby is adamant about joining the Leafs.

Ultimately, this entire discussion is nothing more than a fun discussion. The likelihood of Sidney Crosby coming to Toronto is quite low. While I do believe in never saying never, I have to be realistic here.

A special sequence of events would have to unfold in order for Sidney Crosby to become a Maple Leaf.