In this edition of Pittsburgh Penguins News & Rumors, Sidney Crosby and Team Canada win the 4-Nations Face-Off. Meanwhile, Erik Karlsson may have drawn some interest from other teams with his play at the tournament. Last but not least, the forever voice of the Penguins, Mike Lange, has passed away.
#1: Crosby Wins Gold, Again
The Penguins great, Crosby, has been a dominating force on the international stage. Up until the loss last Saturday night against Team USA, when he played for Canada, they had won 26 straight games. He and Canada took on the USA in a rematch, and Canada ended up winning with an overtime goal by Connor McDavid. The scenes were much like the 2010 Olympics and Crosby’s “Golden Goal.” The score was tied at 2-2, and the game headed into overtime. However, this time it wasn’t Sid—it was more of a passing of the torch moment when McDavid ripped one over the shoulder of Connor Hellebuyck to win it.
THERE IT IS! THE GAME WINNER! THE TOURNAMENT WINNER! 😱😱😱
CONNOR MCDAVID HAS WON IT FOR CANADA!!! #4Nations pic.twitter.com/nDneA2e26K
— NHL (@NHL) February 21, 2025
It seems like Crosby has only known winning his whole life, from the World Juniors to the 4-Nations Face-Off and everything in between. He has come out as a gold medalist once again, adding another layer to his historic career. He was also at the top of the leaderboards for points with one goal and five points. Not bad for a player who almost missed the tournament, eh? If we know Crosby, his attention will shift to the Penguins as early as tomorrow, and he will be ready to try and drag them into the playoffs.
#2: Karlsson Drawing Interest on Trade Market
It looks like Karlsson is drawing interest from other NHL teams after a very good performance at the 4-Nations Face-Off. According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic (‘Sidney Crosby’s 4 Nations Face-Off greatness, Penguins’ next move: Mailbag,’ The Athletic, Feb 14, 2025), who wrote a mailbag post, he believes teams will be looking at Karlsson more now than they were a few weeks ago.
Question Yohe received:
“If Erik Karlsson is good in this tournament, is it possible GMs start to look at him a lot closer for the deadline/summer?”
“Why yes, I think it is. And he was outstanding against Canada, maybe Sweden’s best player.
Karlsson playing well in this series only helps Dubas, I assure you.”
Source – ‘Sidney Crosby’s 4 Nations Face-Off greatness, Penguins’ next move: Mailbag’ – Josh Yohe – The Athletic – 02/14/2025
If GM Kyle Dubas and the Penguins can find a way to move Karlsson’s contract, even if they are forced to retain a portion, it would be a huge help in improving their roster this offseason. With the cap set to rise to $95.5 million in 2025-26, the Penguins will have more money to spend and potentially even bring in fellow Nova Scotia native Brad Marchand if he were to hit the open market. Regardless, with how well Karlsson played at the 4-Nations tournament for Sweden, it looks like he could be drawing some attention on the trade market.
#3: Jarry Sent Down to AHL
This should come as a shock to no one, but the Penguins have sent down Jarry and recalled Emil Bemstrom and Joel Blomqvist. Jarry, 29, has been in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins since Jan. 16, 2025, when he cleared waivers. It doesn’t look like he will be recalled anytime soon, as it seems his time in the Penguins organization is coming to a close at the end of the season.
Related: Penguins of the Future: Rutger McGroarty Starting to Live Up to the Hype
The team will more than likely buy him out, making him a UFA, paying the cap penalty, and looking for another starter to help this team become a regular playoff contender again.
#4: Mike Lange Passes Away
Lastly, on a sad note, the forever voice of the Penguins, Mike Lange, has passed away at the age of 76. For many Penguins fans, Lange was all they knew—he was the voice of the team for nearly 50 years and called some of the best moments in franchise history. Rest in peace, Mike. You’ll be missed greatly.
