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Just three days after being felled by the hatchet brothers of Alex Ovechkin and Matt Niskanen, Sidney Crosby is back on the ice in an informal skate.
It is an off day for the Penguins but Crosby was on the ice with a few other players in full gear.
— Shawn McKenzie (@ShawnMcKenzieSN) May 4, 2017
Off day for Penguins, but Crosby skating at team practice facility ... coach Sullivan will have conference call at noon
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) May 4, 2017
Obviously a great sign for the Penguins and Crosby, but let's not forget that in 2011 Crosby was skating in April during the first round of the playoffs but unable to gain full clearance and did not participate in a game until November. So getting on the ice isn't the end-all, be-all, but it surely is a sign that Crosby (for today at least) has limited symptoms to be able to skate.
We'll see where this goes, I don't really expect Sullivan to give much of an update at noon "We're happy he was able to skate, great step in his progression so he's feeling pretty good and we'll take it day-to-day from here but don't know status for next game" is about what I would predict an hour before the call. We'll see.
In total, it seems to be good for the future prognosis of Crosby that he is able to get into a little bit of physical activity (it's just an informal off-day skate, but hey it's something). How long it takes to get back into the lineup, who knows, and I would certainly temper any exact expectations but skating today certainly is better than not skating today.
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One guy who might not be with the Pens for too much longer is assistant general manager Jason Botterill. Sounds like from reports everywhere (from Friedman to Dreger) that Botterill is impressive the Buffalo Sabres and rumors said he could be named their general manager as soon as today.
With the Pens great success of recent years, it figures the rest of the league will start pecking at it. Which means some great opportunities for what all accounts is a smart, qualified, and good manager. Best of luck to Botterill if and when he gets the job.