The Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons weighs in on Nazem Kadri's possible trade value for the Maple Leafs, and Simmons also reveals that a certain Pittsburgh Penguins general manager wants to make Sidney Crosby available to the Canadian Olympic Committee should they want to counter Zdeno Chara's status as Slovakia's flag-bearer in his Sunday column, and, well...

Penguins general manager Ray Shero told the Toronto Sun by email Saturday that he agreed with the Boston Bruins move to allow captain Zdeno Chara to miss a National Hockey League game so the captain could carry the Slovakian flag in the opening ceremony on Feb. 7.

But what about his captain?

“Hard to turn down that opportunity,” Shero wrote. “Agreed with Boston on letting (Chara) go.”

Crosby would be an ideal choice to carry the flag, which will likely be decided among bobsledder Kaillie Humphries, hockey’s Hayley Wickenheiser, skier Erik Guay and speed skaters, Christine Nesbitt and Charles Hamelin. That didn’t seem in any way possible until the Chara move was agreed to by the Bruins.

Now that the way has been cleared it is up to the COC to make the call: The flag bearer will be announced Thursday. Is there time to make it Crosby? And does he want to do it?

Simmons continues...