Report: Doctors cleared Crosby to play, but GM Hextall wouldn't allow it

The Pittsburgh Penguins' 2021-22 season came to a dramatic close this past weekend when Artemi Panarin and the New York Rangers managed to complete their three game comeback with a Game 7 OT goal to take the opening round series.

While Game 7 was a closely played affair, you can't help but feel like the Pens were feeling the absence of superstar captain Sidney Crosby who was out of the lineup after suffering a suspected upper body injury earlier in the series. If Crosby had suited up, might have things gone down differently? We'll never know, but what's most interesting to me is that Crosby was reportedly cleared by medical staff to compete in Game 6, but GM Ron Hextall stepped in to prevent Crosby from playing. 

Here's the report according to Penguins insider Rob Rossi:

Wow... if that's the case I honestly don't even know what to say. I would imagine that if ANYONE in this league has some pull with management, it'd be Crosby. He's the team's leader on and off the ice and if he's medically cleared then there should be no discussion whether he's fit to play or not. There must be more at play here than Rossi is leading on.

Having said that , with the Penguins' season now over the post-mortem begins and the offseason planning also begins. And there are some SERIOUS things for Hextall to address this offseason. Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Evan Rodrigues and Casey DeSmith are all slated to hit the open market as free agents unless locked up to a new deal before the opening of free agency. But... certainly the Penguins aren't going to walk away from Malkin and Letang, right? They're franchise legends... they'll do whatever it takes to ensure that they retire with the organization, right? Think again.

According to Penguins insider Rob Rossi, the Penguins offered matching three year deals to both Malkin and Letang worth just $5 million per season. Understandably so, both players see those as lowball offers and Rossi reports that Crosby was not happy with his teammates being lowballed by management.

Check it out:

For the record, Malkin is coming off a deal that paid him $9.5 million annually and Letang is coming off a deal that paid him $7.25 million annually. Now... both Malkin and Letang are 35 years old. They won't be around for much longer, but to cut their salaries nearly in half (in Malkin's case, at least) is insulting. These are players who have been around for three Stanley Cup championships and have been the backbone of this organization for a decade and a half. Obviously Crosby isn't going anywhere anytime soon, but with the way that the team has lowballed Malkin and Letang, you have to think that change could be coming in Pittsburgh this offseason.