"It's disrespectful to him": Penguins beat writer critical of Sidney Crosby trade rumors fueled by Spittin' Chiclets duo and insiders

Pittsburgh Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe voiced his frustration regarding the ongoing trade speculation surrounding Sidney Crosby, fueled by the Spittin' Chiclets podcast duo of Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonnette and many insiders.

Yohe wrote about Crosby's name cropping up whenever trade discussions involve the Colorado Avalanche come up, largely due to his friendship with Nathan MacKinnon. The connection between the two has seemingly led to some speculation that a trade to Colorado is inevitable.

The Spittin' Chiclets hosts Whitney and Bissonnette have contributed to the rising chatter about Sidney Crosby, according to Yohe. The trend continued to grow last week when the Avs made a blockbuster move by trading star forward Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in a three-team trade involving the Chicago Blackhawks.

Following that, Frank Seravalli reported that even bigger names were circulating in trade discussions leading up to the Rantanen deal. This prompted a flurry of speculation on social media regarding potential trade scenarios for Sidney Crosby.

Reacting to the speculation surrounding Sidney Crosby, Yohe expressed his frustration.

"It’s disrespectful to him. It’s also disrespectful to Rantanen and the Hurricanes, who deserved the spotlight that night," The Penguins beat writer wrote via The Athletic.

Despite the rumors, Crosby has time and again indicated that he wants to continue playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sidney Crosby opened up about his future

Crosby addressed speculation about his future with the Penguins, emphasizing his commitment to the team. In an interview with The Athletic's Rob Rossi published on Sunday, the 37-year-old said he does not concern himself with trade rumors.

“I don’t worry (about) that stuff. “I’ve said I’m going to always be here. I just signed a new contract to be here. I’ve been very upfront about it — I’m a Pittsburgh Penguin.”

Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins in the 2005 NHL draft. He has been with the club for nearly two decades and signed a two-year, $8.7 million contract extension with the Penguins in September last year.

Crosby has been in top form for the Penguins this season, tallying up 52 points through 14 goals and 38 assists in 51 games.