NHL insider suggests how Alex Ovechkin’s recent success may influence Sidney Crosby’s decision on Penguins future

Alex Ovechkin’s success could influence Sidney Crosby’s plans with the Pittsburgh Penguins. NHL insider Josh Yohe shared his view on this in his Tuesday column for The Athletic. Last season, Ovechkin impressed everyone after breaking Wayne Gretzky's 894-goal record and finished the season with 44 goals and 73 points. Meanwhile, Crosby scored 33 goals and 91 points, ranking 10th in league scoring.

Both stars played well in the regular season, but Ovechkin headed into the playoffs, and Crosby missed. The Capitals made it to the playoffs again, whereas the Penguins missed it for the third straight time. Crosby wants to play in the playoffs, something which he mentioned in an April interview.

"It's not a fun feeling when other teams are playing and you're going home," Sidney Crosby said.

In this context, Yohe said Ovechkin’s success has caught Crosby’s attention. He wrote in The Athletic,

"The Washington Capitals’ stunning success last season caught Crosby’s attention. He saw the way the Capitals went from rebuilding to instant contender, and I believe he’d like a similar plan in Pittsburgh."

Yohe compared the Ovechkin-Crosby rivalry to that of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Both NBA stars pushed each other to perform at their best.

Bird and Johnson first faced each other in the 1979 NCAA championship game. Later, their rivalry continued in the NBA, and it helped both players and their teams. Similarly, Crosby watches Ovechkin closely and is motivated to make it to the playoffs. Yohe added,

"Crosby knows Ovechkin, his biggest rival, is enjoying his final NHL seasons on a very good team, while Crosby is not."

Sidney Crosby wants to be in Pittsburgh amid rumors

Sidney Crosby talked about his future on Monday and said that he wants to stay in Pittsburgh and continue his career. Rumors of his trade started after his agent, Pat Brisson, said Crosby could benefit from playing on a winning team.

Crosby discussed the rumors and made his intentions clear.

"This is where I want to be. I love it here," Crosby said, via NHL.com. "I can’t keep having to answer the same question over again because of these narratives." "If people want to write about that or say that, that’s fine, but I can’t really control that. Obviously, when you lose and when there’s certain things that happen, I think it’s normal for that stuff to come up, but that’s how I feel."

Sidney Crosby does not have much time for the Penguins' rebuild. But despite that, he wants to stay in Pittsburgh. He has stayed loyal for two decades, and it's likely going to stay that way.

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.