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The Pittsburgh Penguins have been without Sidney Crosby for two games with a left arm injury. Crosby has been practicing since the injury but his status for the 4 Nations Face-Off is still up in the air. Already named captain of Team Canada, Crosby is one of the greatest players to ever put on the Maple Leaf. ESPN's Emily Kaplan said the future Hall of Famer is hopeful with just a few days to go.
“Sidney Crosby is traveling to Montreal and hopes to play for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off…” Kaplan reported. “Crosby…is desperate to play in the tournament, sources told ESPN. The Penguins will leave the decision up to Crosby whether or not he participates, and he will take as much time as he can to decide if he's ready, sources told ESPN.”
The Penguins are having a rough season, sitting well out of playoff contention and lacking the depth necessary to compete. So giving Crosby the final choice on whether or not to play.
Crosby scored one of the most iconic goals in international hockey history, an overtime winner to win gold at the 2010 Olympics. He is unlikely to pass up a chance to do that for potentially the final time in his career.
Where should Canada turn if Sidney Crosby backs out?
The teams at the 4 Nations Face-Off need to submit their lineups by 5 p.m. on Monday, February 10. If Crosby cannot go, general manager Don Sweeney has 24 hours to find a replacement and get them to Montreal. While Crosby is a center, Sweeney does not necessarily have to pick a center to replace him because of their depth at the position.
The two biggest forward snubs from Team Canada were Connor Bedard and John Tavares. Both are centers in the NHL but could play wing on such a loaded team. If Sweeney is looking for veteran leadership, Tavares was a part of the 2014 and '16 Canadian teams. But Bedard is likely to be a major part of Canadian teams moving forward.
If Canada wanted to split the difference, not a wily vet but not a fresh-faced kid, they could go with Oilers' winger Zach Hyman. He scored 50 goals last year playing with Connor McDavid and has experience on the biggest stages in the playoffs. Goals will be a big priority for Canada because of their issues at goalie. So bringing the best scorer available would be the way to fill the hole left by Crosby.