Sidney Crosby understands why trade talk surrounds him as the Penguins keep losing

Sidney Crosby is well aware of the trade talk swirling around him, now that he and the Pittsburgh Penguins have gone three seasons without making the playoffs. Going into another at age 38 with little realistic hope of the team contending, the three-time Stanley Cup champion acknowledged the rumors are now part of his reality, even if he'd rather they not be. “I understand it,” Crosby said Monday night at the NHL player media tour on the Las Vegas Strip.