Sidney Crosby might have come close to suiting up for Team Canada in the gold medal game, but it’s become clear that he wouldn’t have been anywhere close to healthy had he done so.
On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that their superstar center will miss at least the next four weeks with a lower-body injury. Crosby was also placed on injured reserve, with defenseman Kris Letang activated in a corresponding move.
Crosby, of course, suffered the injury after taking an awkward hit from Radko Gudas in Canada’s quarterfinal game against Team Czechia. He immediately left the game and did not return for the remainder of the tournament, despite his and the medical staff’s best efforts to get him into a good enough position to at least try to play.
The 38-year-old was in the midst of another great season, having produced 59 points (27 goals, 32 assists) through his first 56 games. He was just as productive at the Olympics before getting injured, finishing with six points (two goals, four assists) in four games played – though it was really only three and a half.
His absence is a major blow for a Penguins team that currently sits second in the Metropolitan Division and is looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021–22. Combine that with the fact that Pittsburgh has the hardest remaining strength of schedule of any team in the NHL, and it could be a rough month or so without their captain.
Crosby had played in 300 of the Penguins’ last 302 games over the past four years, so this is somewhat uncharted territory for this iteration of the team. That said, we’ve seen him miss extended stretches at various points throughout his career, and those have often led to fellow superstar Evgeni Malkin stepping up to carry the load without him.
Pittsburgh will be relying on the 39-year-old more than they have in quite some time over the next month, and whether he can elevate his play and production could very well be the difference between playoff hockey returning to the Steel City this season.
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