NHL rumors: How Sidney Crosby injury impacts Penguins, Blue Jackets’ trade deadline plans

The Pittsburgh Penguins came out of the Olympic break with a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday. That put a little distance between them and the Columbus Blue Jackets, who lost to the Boston Bruins. Both of those Metropolitan Division teams have big decisions to make at the NHL trade deadline. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun says that the Sidney Crosby injury impacts both teams’ March 6 plans.

“No GM has been busier in the past two years, that’s for sure,” LeBrun said of Penguins boss Kyle Dubas. “It’s been an impressive haul of draft picks for the Penguins. But despite the injury to No. 87, there’s no white flag in Pittsburgh. They want to make the playoffs without doing anything that impairs their long-term vision as they continue to transition the roster.”

The Penguins have made many trades this year, including swapping out their goalie, Tristan Jarry, for Stuart Skinner. Their most recent trade added another second-round pick to the cupboard. They have the mid-round picks to trade at the deadline if they want to. But if the captain is out for four weeks, it may be a lost cause.

As for the Blue Jackets, “You can’t blame the Blue Jackets if they look at the Crosby injury and wonder why not just stay in the race and go for it. The Jackets were one of the NHL’s top teams over the month ahead of the Olympics break. So as long as they don’t trip over themselves coming out of the break, my understanding is that Jackets GM Don Waddell intends to keep his pending UFAs as own-rentals, including highly sought-after guys such as Boone Jenner, Charlie Coyle and Erik Gudbransson.”

According to reports, the Blue Jackets did have extension conversations with some pending free agents over the break. But they are on the doorstep of the playoffs with a spot potentially opening up 200 miles to the east.

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