Sidney Crosby To The Rangers N...

Sidney Crosby to the Rangers.

The Maven said it once and now I'll say it again – Sidney Crosby could become a Ranger at the trade deadline.

For this to happen, certain elements have to fall into place. Specifically, two keys:

1. The Penguins have to continue their march to mediocrity.

2. Crosby must be – if he isn't already – fed up with Kyle Dubas colossal mishandling of management.

Both one and two are possibilities.

There are no indications that – once again under Dubas – that the Penguins are a playoff team. (Nor would it surprise if Mike Sullivan goes the way of Jim Montgomery)

Sidney's dedication/loyalty to Pittsburgh is both admirable but limited. What more does he have to prove – and give? Nothing. Zero.

Like Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, a time comes when a superstar must leave a village and come to Broadway.

And, make no mistake, the Rangers need a Crosby. This is a good Blueshirts team – but a "Fall Short" team when it comes to Cup-winning.

Crosby would put them over the top but only if the Blueshirts can make the Pitt high command happy. Historian George Grimm puts it this way:

Grimm could see Crosby "slotting in nicely as Chris Kreider's center. And heck we've wasted so many prospects and draft picks on much lesser players. Crosby might be worth it."

Granted, this is a long shot. So was Gretzky to Los Angeles. Sometimes long shots come in although Blue Collar Blueshirts publisher Sean McCaffrey believes Crosby to the Rangers is longer than a long shot.

"It's less than a one percent chance of working out," McCaffrey asserts. "Not a shot in hell for it to happen."

Bryan Reilly, author of "The Last Original Ranger Of New York," insists that Crosby wants to remain an original Penguin.

"Sid wants to be like Mario Lemieux, Jean Beliveau, Mike Bossy and Steve Yzerman," Reilly explains, "and finish his career as an all-time great with only one team."

What about a theoretical trade? Reilly: "These high-risk moves rarely deliver the desired outcome. Hard pass!"

Grimm: "I'm all in."

Maven: Time will tell.