The latest round of speculation started after the Hurricanes acquired Mikko Rantanen in a blockbuster trade on Friday, fueling "baseless rumors," as labeled by The Athletic's Josh Yohe, that the Avalanche might be positioning themselves to acquire Crosby.

Every time trade talks involve the Colorado Avalanche, Crosby’s name arises. His friendship with fellow Nova Scotian Nathan MacKinnon has made some people believe a Crosby trade to Colorado is a foregone conclusion. Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney have made quite the post-playing careers for themselves. When they speak, the hockey world hears it.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby voiced a very firm statement to General Manager Kyle Dubas and the rest of the organization about the trade buzz surrounding his name in the NHL.