Crosby fends off trade speculation again: 'Not going to answer it every time'

Sidney Crosby has affirmed his loyalty to the Pittsburgh Penguins countless times in recent years, and did so again Tuesday after another round of trade speculation took hold over the weekend.

"I know how speculation works: Everybody's looking to talk about different things, different scenarios," Crosby told Taylor Haase of DK Pittsburgh Sports. "I can't control that. I don't know where that comes from. I don't think that it's something I'm going to discuss every time someone speculates something. I'm not going to answer it every time that happens."

Crosby was mentioned in rumors after the Carolina Hurricanes acquired Mikko Rantanen on Friday. Baseless speculation arose that the Colorado Avalanche could be making a move to acquire Crosby to fill their need down the middle of the ice.

The Penguins sitting 15th in the Eastern Conference has only fuelled rumors that Crosby may want to finish his career on a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup.

"It's more than just the losses," Crosby said. "It's all the stuff that comes with it. It's the trickle-down effect that comes with that. That's the way it is. But understanding that, I know that all my energy and all my focus is toward helping us and doing the best we can, and I can't control any of that other stuff."

Crosby signed a two-year extension with Pittsburgh in September. The club is on track to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive season, but the 37-year-old said he wants to be part of the solution.

"I'm trying to do everything I possibly can for us," Crosby said. "Be at my best, to give us a chance to win every night, to be a good teammate. We all want to get through a difficult point right now. That's my mindset. All my energy is here and trying to do everything I can here."

Crosby leads the Penguins with 53 points in 52 games this season. He recently moved to ninth on the NHL's all-time scoring list.