PITTSBURGH — Good morning and happy summer, everyone. We aren’t quite to the dog days of the hockey offseason — that’s what I like to refer to as August — but we are coming to the end of the free-agency frenzy. Judging by the number of questions I received for the monthly mailbag, however, your interest in the Penguins continues to peak.

So many great questions require me to write two mailbags. No. 2 will come your way Wednesday morning.

Note: Questions have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Why does Sid want to stick around for the abomination that is the next two seasons? — @NotArtRooney11

People ask me this question quite often. While I don’t want to put words in Sidney Crosby’s mouth, I feel like I’m qualified to answer this question.

It’s all about loyalty for him. Before he signed his new two-year contract with the Penguins last September, I asked a member of the organization if anyone was concerned. The response this person sent me was this: “Nope, none at all. He’s a Penguin.”

I can’t really answer the question better than that. Of course, he isn’t enjoying the losing. Of course, it’s torture for him. And sure, I’d bet he would prefer for Kyle Dubas to get a little aggressive and make this team better immediately. No one likes a rebuild, and no one hates it more than a player toward the end of his career.

But still, he’s a Penguin. He’s a Pittsburgher. He’s spent most of his life playing for the Penguins. Really. Twenty years out of the 37 in which he’s walked this planet have been as a member of the Penguins. He’s happy here.

I’ve heard many say things like, “He deserves to be in the playoffs! He’s Sidney Crosby!”

No, he doesn’t. Nobody deserves to be in the playoffs. I don’t even know what that means. But you know what he does deserve? Given the player he’s always been — and more importantly, the wonderful person he’s always been — Crosby deserves to live his life on his terms. And he wants to live his life being the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Do you think the Pens somehow making the playoffs this season would be a worst-case scenario for POHOGMKD? — @thejoshbanks

Are we now calling Dubas this? President of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas is now POHOGMKD? I have to think about this.

As for your question, well, it’s a good one.

On one level, it would be a glorious story, right? Evgeni Malkin playing in the playoffs in what is potentially his final season? Crosby carrying the Penguins back to the playoffs? You can smell the Hart Trophy votes already. It would be something to see, and when you look at the collection of forwards the Penguins have at their disposal, you could almost imagine such a scenario. Almost.

In terms of what Dubas is trying to build, yes, it probably would be a bad thing. This draft is the granddaddy of them all, from what we are told. To get a top-five pick in this draft could certainly change the future for the Penguins.

It’s a very complex thing, what Penguins fans are rooting for in the 2025-26 season.

How much pressure is on Dubas to win the Rakell and Rust trades and get something decent for EK65? — @Jeffs_Penguins

If he’s made up his mind that he’s going to trade either Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell — or maybe both — then, yeah, there’s a ton of pressure on him. Remember, he doesn’t have that many movable assets.

Those are the kinds of deals you can’t screw up, especially if Rust is dealt. Remember the Jake Guentzel trade? It didn’t go over very well in the locker room. Moving Rust won’t either. So if you’re going to make waves, at least hit a home run.

Trading Jake Guentzel in 2024 didn’t have the best reception in the Penguins locker room, and if Kyle Dubas isn’t careful, a Bryan Rust trade could have a similar effect. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

If the Pens can get a first-round pick for Rust/Rakell, wouldn’t it be better to trade them now and hope their new teams end up in the lottery instead of trading them to a surefire playoff team at the deadline? The more chances at Gavin McKenna, the better. — @klinger2069

I see your point, and you’re right. But there is a problem. Teams aren’t very willing to make their first-round picks available right now because they also know how good the 2026 draft is.

Do I think the Penguins could get a first-round pick for Rust or Rakell if they trade them before the deadline? Maybe. But teams that aren’t sure if they’re going to be good next year aren’t likely to cough up that pick right now.

I understand the folks who want to trade Rust and Rakell, as their return would be the best we could get for any of our trade pieces. Wouldn’t trading them push the rebuild out further? They are on very attractive deals and we still need quality NHL players. — @6_Lombardis

Fair question. I think it all depends on the return. If you’re getting nothing but draft picks or 18-year-old prospects? Then yeah, you might be correct.

But if you’re getting a 22-year-old who is NHL-ready? Maybe not so much. It’s about the return, and it’s difficult to project what both players would bring back.

Is it actually possible to move all of Danton Heinen, Noel Acciari and Kevin Hayes out to unclog the bottom-six logjam? — @Flux_cc

I don’t think so, no. Maybe one of them? None are on particularly attractive contracts, and I’m not sure how much any of them bring to the table.

Dubas, from what I can gather, isn’t offended by having bad contracts on his team simply because they aren’t ready to win just yet. When he deems that they are, that will be a different story.

You’ve been covering the team for a long time. Are you equally excited (in a different way) to see the next chapter unfold? — @LittleMac0816

Of course. The Penguins, in all seriousness, are one of the most fascinating organizations in sports history. I truly believe that. It’s been good, bad, tragic and so much more. There have been multiple bankruptcies. Coaches dying in-season. General managers dying in car wrecks. Mumps outbreaks.  Players coming back from cancer to dominate the sport. Remarkable highs (no team exceeds the Penguins’ five Cups in the past 40 years). Remarkable lows (when they stink, they stink in indescribable ways). Mario Lemieux. Sidney Crosby. Jaromir Jagr. Evgeni Malkin.

I have never been bored one time while writing about this team. The Penguins are a soap opera come to life. They always have been, and I don’t figure that will ever change. They are a reporter’s dream.

When Penguins media report injuries as simply upper- or lower-body, do they never know what the specific injury is? Or are they just afraid of blowback from the players, GM, coach, Jen Bullano, other media or their employers? — @know_tru

Great question. I have a theory that, in general, it’s not my business what the injury is and it’s not really the fans’ business, either. It’s someone’s health, right? If they can’t play, they can’t play.

So I don’t really go digging for it. If it’s painfully obvious what the injury is — shoulder takes brunt of hit, guy grabs shoulder, leaves game, team calls it an upper-body injury — I’ll say it’s a shoulder injury, because we aren’t children here. But if it’s a mystery injury, I don’t really think it’s my place to investigate. Sure, sometimes I see things. I saw Sid go into a doctor’s office in Washington last year to have his wrist looked at. I didn’t write it. He was with a doctor and I was in his space, you know? Just an ethical thing more than anything.

How does the social media staff chose who is in videos? Is it pretty optional for the players? Do they have any obligations as employees of the team? Does the media staff bribe them with cookies? — @Grady_Matthew

It’s a better question for them, but I’d imagine the players who are more friendly with the media are the ones more likely to do those kinds of things.

Let’s go ask Ned for another video, because it’s Ned and he’s the nicest guy ever, so he won’t get irritated. I think that’s the mindset.

Favorite stadium to watch a baseball game? — @Steve_Yo

PNC Park, obviously. But I love Comerica Park in Detroit also.

What would be your dream non-hockey sporting event to cover as a reporter and why? — @kobyalex17

The NBA seems like it would be entertaining. Asking Mike Tomlin about time management every week would be a riot.

But I’d actually like for The Athletic to send me to Coney Island to cover the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest next July 4. No, I’m not kidding. I laugh hysterically every year when I watch the broadcast. I can’t get enough of it. I like to think Joey Chestnut and I would hit it off well.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Part 2 is coming Wednesday.

(Top photo: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)