3 ideal Sidney Crosby replacements for 4 Nations should injury rule out Team Canada captain

Pittsburgh Penguins superstar and Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby suffered an injury during Tuesday night's 3-2 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils.

He briefly left the game in the third period after this collision with Erik Haula and Luke Hughes, though he returned shortly and finished the game.

After the game, Crosby said he was fine and just got tangled up on the play. However, there appears to be more to it. The 37-year-old missed practice on Wednesday, and the Penguins head coach, Mike Sullivan, said Crosby was being evaluated for an upper-body injury.

There is certainly reason for concern, though Sullivan didn't seem overly concerned about the injury. When he was asked about the challenge of their captain potentially missing action, he quickly rebuffed, saying let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Sidney Crosby has had another phenomenal season, racking up 58 points (17 goals, 41 assists) in 55 games. It would be almost impossible to replace a player of his magnitude.

While hockey fans are hopeful that Crosby's ailment is minor and that he'll be able to suit up for Team Canada, possible replacements must be at least considered. Let's dive into three ideal replacements should Canada's captain have to miss the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

3 replacements for Sidney Crosby

#1. Mark Scheifele

Mark Scheifele is having a career year in 2024-25. The 31-year-old has been a key factor in the Winnipeg Jets sitting first overall in the NHL. He's racked up 61 points (31 goals, 30 assists) in 55 games.

Should Sidney Crosby be unavailable, Team Canada will need to find more offense in his absence. Scheifele certainly provides that, as he is tied with Sam Reinhart for the most goals (31) among Canadian players and is fourth in points (61) among his fellow countrymen.

He also is an elite power-play producer with 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) on the man advantage this year. His skillset could slide in on either power play unit and provide Team Canada with another game-breaking talent. Many believe the Jets center was snubbed, to begin with.

#2. Zach Hyman

Zach Hyman would be a great fit for Team Canada. The 32-year-old felt like a lock to make the team after a 54-goal 2023-24 season playing next to Connor McDavid. However, a slow start to this season led to Hyman ultimately not being selected for the 4 Nations roster.

The Oilers winger was surprisingly goalless through the first 10 games of the season, recording just one point (one assist) in that span. In the 38 games since, Hyman has looked more like himself, registering 30 points (18 goals, 12 assists) and helping Edmonton charge up the league standings.

In fact, despite missing five games with an injury, Hyman's 18 goals since Oct. 31 are the eighth most among Canadian NHLers during that stretch. His chemistry with McDavid and net front ability on the power play could be a great addition in Sidney Crosby's absence.

#3. Nick Suzuki

Lastly, how about Nick Suzuki? The 25-year-old has been improving every year and has shown that this season, recording 52 points (15 goals, 37 assists) in 53 games.

Suzuki has been a catalyst in the Montreal Canadiens turning the corner in their rebuild. His two-way game is the best it's ever been and he's 11th in point-scoring among Canadians in the NHL. The Habs center is also proving to produce in the clutch, scoring five game-winning goals, four of which have been overtime winners this season.

Potentially, without one of their top faceoff takers, Sidney Crosby, Suzuki could help fill that void. His faceoff percentage has improved drastically throughout his career as he's become one of the more dependable forwards in hockey.