PITTSBURGH — Whether they were for sale or not, it doesn't really matter at this point. The Penguins have new ownership for the second time in four years, with Hoffmann Family of Companies purchasing them from Fenway Sports Group for $1.7 billion, per Friday's announcement.

Turns out the Million Dollar Man was right. Everybody has a price — and the conglomerate based in Chicago and Naples, Fla., either met or exceeded that when it comes to the local hockey team.

So far, the outlay looks good. Clean skies, to play into the Hoffmann family's aviation interest. The Penguins' management structure will remain in place. So will FSG to a degree, to support sponsorship sales, regional sports network management and other business efforts.

But the Hoffmann family, whose biggest professional sports holding before this one was the ECHL's Florida Everblades, now runs a franchise that only a few years ago was one of the NHL's top U.S.-based operations and a perennial contender.

Naturally, there are questions.

What is the overall direction?

The Hoffmanns addressed some of that in their release announcing the sale: "The Penguins' leadership structure will remain unchanged, with the full executive team continuing in their current roles to ensure stability and consistency."

That starts with president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and naturally extends to the various areas he already oversees. My question is more of a 30,000-foot view — sorry, did it again.

The Hoffmanns haven't amassed a giant portfolio by being passive. In hockey terms, what if they don't want to rebuild? What if they want to win and immediately make their mark as NHL owners?

The Penguins could conceivably swallow some cash with buyouts or mortgage future assets to remove current salary-cap dollars, eventually signing players who can help them win sooner.

I'm not predicting it'll happen. In fact, it probably won't. I'm just saying if I'm taking over the team, I might not want to go through an extended rebuild right off the hop.

What does Sidney Crosby think?

Crosby will surely be asked at the Penguins' morning skate Saturday at Bell Centre in Montreal. Temper those expectations. The next incendiary comment the Penguins' captain offers will be his first.

But Crosby has seen a couple of these now, and he's not getting any younger. He's also as competitive as ever and wants to win.

New owners must communicate a coherent plan to Crosby, one that involves nailing this rebuild and getting back to the postseason, which may include doubling down on Dubas' existing plan.

Thus far, Crosby has obviously meshed fine with previous ownership groups — and in the case of Mario Lemieux, his mentor and former landlord, they accomplished much more than that. That's a likely outcome here, too.

But another corporate ownership group is also another shade removed from how Crosby won, another risk when it comes to putting a competitive product back on the ice as soon as possible.

What does it mean for Lemieux?

The Hoffmann family would be foolish not to court a civic icon and the most popular player in franchise history. However, Lemieux turned 60 in October. He's a grandfather. Doubt he wants to get knee-deep in business or hockey decisions. He's probably done his last media interview.

In other words, don't expect Lemieux to agree to some sort of public-facing role.

That said, the relationship between Lemieux and FSG was not good, and he was hardly ever around the rink. That should change. The Hoffmanns need to ensure Lemieux feels welcome, involving him in whatever capacity where he feels comfortable and respected.

How about watching the team?

It's certainly not the biggest priority, but there's a unique situation with the Penguins' TV deal to navigate. SportsNet Pittsburgh is a joint venture with the Penguins and Pirates. It's run by another of FSG's assets, NESN, in Boston.

In the short-term, it probably makes sense for Hoffmann Family of Companies to keep the current arrangement, given the timing.

In the future, perhaps the Hoffmanns see an opportunity in the regional sports network business. Or the necessary infrastructure was included in the sale. We don't know those details yet.

The additional layer here involves the Pirates, who could see their programming — and the station's ad dollars — disappear should an MLB lockout occur in December 2026, as expected. In that sense, it may make sense for the Hoffmanns to pursue their own solution and for the Pirates to turn their rights over to MLB.

What about the Civic Arena site?

The development rights for the old Civic Arena site expired in October. However, one could argue this aspect of the sale is actually more in the Hoffmanns' wheelhouse given their various other interests.

The pie-in-the-sky outcome for Penguins fans could be the Hoffmanns really getting aggressive and trying to turn vacant parking lots into something similar to the Arena District in Columbus.

It's lofty, sure. And unlikely to happen.

But starting a mega-conglomerate that employs 17,000 people in 30 countries probably had its fair share of doubters along the way, too.

Hey, is there any chance that ...

No, the Penguins aren't leaving. First off, that much was made clear in the release:

"When the opportunity arose to become the next stewards of one of the most respected organizations in sports, we knew we had to pursue it," said Geoff Hoffmann, CEO of Hoffmann Family of Companies. "The Penguins' on‑ice legacy and the values shared by the team and the city align naturally with ours. We're here to build, grow, stay and win."

There's also their lease with the Sports & Exhibition Authority, which runs through 2040.

Let's jump to Section 8.2 titled "Covenant Not to Relocate."

"In consideration for the participation of the Authority and the Commonwealth in this project, the Operator affirmatively covenants, subject to, and except as otherwise necessitated by, any Untenantability Period, and except as otherwise consented by the Authority in writing, in advance (iv) not to initiate or participate in discussions that would be intended to result in the relation of the Franchise."

A lot of fancy words. They say anyone who signs the lease can't move.

It also says Hoffmann Family of Companies can't sell to anyone looking to do that in Section V, where it agrees "not to transfer or assign the Franchise to any Person which does not expressly agree in writing to be bound by the Agreement."

There's a loophole during the final 12 months of the lease term, but we probably have enough to worry about between then and now.

While a move isn't likely, or possible, it does make me wonder about what the SEA invested in the area and Lower Hill projects that had at least tangential impact on the Penguins' overall value. Is there some sort of kickback? Should FSG get to enjoy all of that profit?

Like a lot of this stuff, I don't know. None of us do. The sale of the Penguins sort of came out of nowhere, like a shorthanded chance due to a silly cross-ice pass (not that they've ever done that).

But now that we're here, there's plenty to unpack, not-so-subtle storylines potentially involving two of the three most popular players in franchise history and economic drivers around the team.

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