Already down one of their top-two centers, the Pittsburgh Penguins were dealt some potentially disastrous news on Wednesday afternoon.
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby – who left the game briefly during the third period of Pittsburgh’s 3-2 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday – did not practice on Wednesday due to an upper-body injury.
Head coach Mike Sullivan clarified that he is still being evaluated and that the Penguins have no further information at this time.
Mike Sullivan said that right now, Sidney Crosby is being evaluated for an upper-body injury. “I don’t have any more specifics. Once we have more specifics, I’ll let you know,” the Penguins head coach said.
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) February 5, 2025
Being that Crosby does not have a clear-cut status at this point, there will also be no further clarification on his status for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-off – at which he is set to captain Team Canada – until more information becomes available.
Crosby was injured in the third period on Tuesday when Devils forward Erik Haula attempted to finish a check on Crosby, who was already tangled up with Devils defenseman Luke Hughes. Crosby’s left arm got caught between Hughes and Haula during the check, and he left the Penguins’ bench for a few shifts before returning later on.
If Crosby misses any time, this puts the Penguins in a very tough spot. They’re already without second-line center Evgeni Malkin, who is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and their top-two centers are currently Kevin Hayes and Cody Glass – both of which are not ideal top-six options.
However, there is some encouraging news.
Malkin is skating on his own before Penguins’ practice signaling progress in his recovery. In addition, Sullivan cautioned reporters on Wednesday morning “not to get ahead of themselves” when it comes to drawing conclusions about the lineup without Crosby in it:
Mike Sullivan said Crosby has an upper-body injury and is still being evaluated today.
Asked about the challenge of possibly losing Sid, he said, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Think it’s noteworthy that Sullivan said that.
— Matt Vensel (@mattvensel) February 5, 2025
Also – later on Wednesday – the Penguins optioned winger Jesse Puljujarvi to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), their AHL affiliate. While this may not look like much on the surface, it could mean that the Penguins plan to call up a center from WBS. And if they call up a center, it seems unlikely that Crosby will head to IR.
If that is, indeed, the plan, the two obvious candidates from WBS right now would be centers Emil Bemstrom and Vasily Ponomarev.
Bemstrom, 25, is having a great year in the AHL and is fresh off of an appearance at the AHL All-Star Game. He leads WBS in goals and points with 19 goals and 41 points in 37 games, and he is ranked third in the AHL in scoring this season. He’d be a reliable veteran option for the Penguins, should they call on him.
Ponomarev, 22, was one of the prospects acquired in the Jake Guentzel trade last season, and he is enjoying a very solid year as well. He has 11 goals and 27 points in 30 games with WBS this season, including five goals and eight points in his last five games.
He had a very brief stint with the NHL club earlier this season, registering no points in three games played. However, Ponomarev’s special teams versatility and ability to slide up and down the lineup – and positionally – might be of particular benefit to the Penguins in their current situation.
