Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Muse revealed that Sidney Crosby is progressing well from a lower-body injury, but poured cold water on any speculation that the captain will return sooner than expected.
“I think we’re going in the right direction. Nothing’s changed right now in terms of status, nothing’s changed in terms of anything else. We’ll continue to take it a step at a time,” Muse said Tuesday, via Penguins reporter Michelle Crechiolo. “But it’s obviously great having him out there.”
Crosby, 38, has been out since getting hurt with Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics quarterfinals. Watching him skate on Tuesday morning led many to wonder whether Crosby would play against the Carolina Hurricanes today, but the game in Raleigh may come too soon for the Penguins captain.
Crosby’s missed games since Winter Olympics injury
Crosby’s injury against Czechia in Milano Cortina forced him to watch the Winter Olympics semifinal against Finland as well as the gold medal match against Team USA on the sidelines.
When returning from the Winter Olympics, the Penguins immediately placed him on injured reserve. On February 25, the team announced that its captain would be out for a minimum of four weeks.
Less than two weeks have passed since then, so there should be no reason to panic. The fact that Crosby is already skating is an encouraging sign, but as Muse said, the Penguins aren’t forcing him to return ahead of schedule.
Penguins’ form since Crosby’s injury
Crosby’s absence has been challenging for Pittsburgh though, with the team heading into the Hurricanes game on March 10 on a 3-4 run since the NHL resumed after the Winter Olympics.
The Penguins, however, are still well-positioned in the NHL standings as they fight for a place in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With 78 points in 63 games, Muse and company are second in the Metropolitan division, though they have many teams right behind them.