The latest round of speculation started after the Hurricanes acquired Mikko Rantanen in a blockbuster trade on Friday, fueling "baseless rumors," as labeled by The Athletic's Josh Yohe, that the Avalanche might be positioning themselves to acquire Crosby.

As expected, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby was named as captain of Canada’s entry into the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off event. Crosby is the NHL’s longest tenured active captain, having served in that role for the Penguins since 2007.

Marcus Pettersson and Erik Karlsson scored in regulation as Pittsburgh snapped a three-game losing streak. Alex Nedeljkovic made 27 saves.