Amid growing speculation about how the Toronto Maple Leafs will address (if they decide to do it at all) their depth at center with many injuries impacting that position, TSN's Bryan Hayes has floated the boldest possible idea.
Hayes thinks that the Leafs should try to trade for none other than Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.
While far-fetched, Hayes argued that Crosby could be the player to push Toronto to Stanley Cup contention for the next three seasons, especially given their current injury woes up front.
"The Leafs need someone up the middle to put them over the top,"
Hayes said while appearing on TSN's "OverDrive" on Monday. "Who knows this organization better than (Penguins GM Kyle) Dubas in terms of what you want?"
Hayes emphasized Crosby's experience and leadership as invaluable assets. "Every time I talk about (Crosby to Toronto), I want Sid out [of Pittsburgh], and I'm going to put the Leafs on blast and say you have to go get him. If he's available, go get him."
The Penguins, sitting at 7-12-4 and ranked 29th in the NHL standings, have underperformed this season and are getting closer to missing the playoffs for the third year in a row.
Despite Crosby's immense legacy in Pittsburgh, some analysts, including Hayes' co-host Jamie McLennan, speculated about the veteran's willingness to move at some point. "If you just sat down with him, man to man, and asked, ‘Do you really want to stay no matter how bad you guys are?'
I'd have a hard time believing he'd say yes," McLennan said. All of the above said, it's fair to assume trading for a player like Crosby, even more so considering his situation and stature in the Penguins franchise, wouldn't be easy.
Crosby signed a two-year, $17.4 million extension in the offseason and is still in the final year of his current contract. He carries a $8.7 million cap hit and his deal includes a full no-movement clause.
For any trade to materialize, Pittsburgh would likely need to retain salary, and the Leafs would have to part with significant assets.
Hypothetically, the Penguins could reasonably demand multiple first-round picks, a top prospect, and a quality roster player in exchange for the franchise's legend.
Even with Pittsburgh struggling and Toronto being in the middle of a window to content for the cap, it's hard to envision this trade happening in any realistic scenario.
