The Pittsburgh Penguins aren't where they expected to be at the beginning of the season.
But all-everything center Sidney Crosby wasn't where they expected him to be either — on the disabled list.
Crosby, arguably the greatest hockey player on the planet, missed the last four months of the Penguins' season after two hard collisions resulted in a concussion and his Pittsburgh teammates were eliminated in the first round of the NHL playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
But the Pens got a bit of good news Friday when Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero announced the 2010 Rocket Richard Trophy winner was cleared for off-ice workouts for the first time since the hits.
Crosby, 23, will work out with a personal trainer in Nova Scotia for the next two to three weeks.
"Everything will be closely managed by Dr. [Michael] Collins," Shero said, "in terms of his progression leading up to him getting on the ice later in the summer per his usual routine."
Crosby didn't appear in a game after Jan. 5, but still led the team with 32 goals and 66 points through just 41 games. At one point, he held a 25-game point streak.
