NHL Teams Risking Ugly Endings With Players Who Deserve Better

It's getting to that point in the season already where some teams and their loyal players should see the writing on the wall.

Sidney Crosby is as loyal as they come, but even he can’t stop the train if it's on the tracks and a collision course with a full-fledged rebuild. Such inevitability may force him to reconsider his position on staying a Penguin for life.

He’s not the only one who might have to make a tough decision this season.

Let’s take a look at some teams and players who have shown they’re willing to stick it out with a team that hasn’t responded to that loyalty favorably. Whether it was promising to be competitive or an inability to withstand the hardships the NHL brings, these players deserve better, and they might have to find it on teams they aren’t currently playing for.

Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins aren’t trying to make Crosby leave. The fact they’ve won four games in a row and GM Kyle Dubas is still trying to bring in pieces that will save the season tells us as much. That said, we all know how this is going to end.

The Penguins are too old, too slow, and too expensive to be legitimate contenders. And, while Crosby committed to the team with a new three-year extension, that deal is short enough and inexpensive enough that almost any other club in the NHL would take him on should he decide it’s time to go.

Frankly, the Penguins need Crosby to leave. If he doesn't, Evgeni Malkin isn’t going anywhere, and Kris Letang is staying put. If all three stick around, there’s not much Dubas or the organization can do except wait for them all to retire.