It appears Sidney Crosby is moving closer to a decision on whether or not he will play in Europe as the NHL lockout continues.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Crosby admits he has been thinking more about playing elsewhere in recent days as CBA negotiations remain stalled.
"You know what? It's a lot more possible right now," Crosby told the Post-Gazette. "I probably hadn't thought about it quite as much as I have the past few days."
"With the way things are looking now, it's not looking too good."
Crosby's agent Pat Brisson has said that Crosby had targeted late November or early December to decide on playing abroad, but getting insurance is still a very expensive detractor.
"He needs and wants to play hockey," Brisson told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com. "It will be difficult to go all year without playing after what he's gone through the last two years. Over the next few days I'm going to make more calls and continue to explore Sidney's options."
"I don't know, specifically, if I've gotten to that point where I'm looking at [particular] teams, but I think I'm more or less thinking that playing is becoming a little more and more important here, the longer we go," Crosby told the Post-Gazette. "Especially in my case, where I've missed so much hockey in the last little bit."
With the lockout now in Day 73, the NHL and the Players' Association have agreed to allow U.S. federal mediators into the talks.
"I'm trying to still be optimistic and hopefully that's something that will maybe be a turning point," Crosby told ESPN.com. "It's something that at least forces both sides to be in a room together and at least talk. That in itself hasn't been easy to do lately. I'm hoping (mediation) makes a difference."
