Sidney Crosby unhappy with the direction of the Penguins.

There may be no team worth watching more closely than the Pittsburgh Penguins this summer as many expect the team to make significant changes with pending unrestricted free agents like Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin, and Bryan Rust all currently hanging in limbo.

There is a sense that the Penguins core could be broken up sooner rather than later and it would appear as though sooner may currently be the frontrunner. This week Penguins insider Rob Rossi reported that the Penguins had made what he described as "lowball" offers to both Letang and Malkin, offers that did not sit well with Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

Rossi, when speaking on 93.7 The Fan, revealed that both Malkin and Letang had been offered 3 year contracts worth $15 million. That works out to an average annual value and salary cap hit of $5 million per season for each player, a salary that would represent a significant pay cut for both men as well.

According to Rossi it would appear that Crosby feels a more concerted effort should be made to keep some of the organization's legacy players within the fold, however it sounds like the captain could be left sorely disappointed with the direction of the team. Once again speaking during a segment on 93.7 The Fan, Rossi revealed his belief that none of the pending UFAs previously mentioned would be back next season.

"I would not expect Malkin, Letang or Rust to be back," said Rossi.

While it may feel premature to rule all 3 of those players, Rust, Letang and Malkin, out of the Penguins' future, there may be good reason for Rossi to believe that this will in fact come to pass. The Penguins insider not only indicated that offers had not sat well with the Penguins captain, but unsurprisingly it sounds like they may not have been so well received by those they were made to either.

According to Rossi, Malkin's representation found the offer to be "insulting" which probably didn't get him off to a great start with the relatively new Penguins management team of president of hockey operations Brian Burke and general manager Ron Hextall.