Sidney Crosby reportedly furious as three Penguins all-stars are on their way out, according to a Pittsburgh reporter

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Jeff Drouin
May 21, 2022 (1:34 PM)

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You can literally say that it feels like the end of an era for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Having just been eliminated from the playoffs, the team's management will have some important decisions to make regarding Evgeni Malkin, Kristopher Letang and Bryan Rust, who will be free agents without compensation this summer.

But as we know, Malkin and Letang have reportedly received some pretty insulting offers from Penguins general manager Ron Hextall, and as Marco Normandin of Habsolumentfan.com reports, it could smell like a big cleanup in Pittsburgh.

According to what reporter Rob Rossi of The Athletic reports, Penguins management doesn't seem any more interested in seeing Letang and Malkin with the team next season, so both players have been offered contracts worth $5 million a year each for three years.

Rossi adds that these two insulting offers would have made captain Sidney Crosby furious.

Rossi also said he doesn't expect Letang, Malkin and Rust to return to the Penguins next season.

Malkin himself commented on the rumors saying that he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh but if management was not ready to keep him and preferred to rejuvenate the team, he was also ready to leave for other places.

For Ray Ferraro, former NHL player and now analyst at TSN, he too would be surprised to see the number 71 with the Penguins next year, since Hextall is not ready to offer him a contract worthy of his reputation.

Let's just say that the 2022-2023 season could be quite different for the Penguins if these three players were not back with the team. While there are rumors that Letang is headed to Montreal, it could be the end of an era in the Steel City.