As Stephen Catanese noted earlier, the Pittsburgh Penguins made their final roster moves of the preseason on Monday, which included their placing star forward Sidney Crosby on injured reserve.
Crosby, the NHL's active leader with a 1.39 points per game average, hasn't played since January due to a concussion, and we knew his return wasn't imminent, so this move comes as no surprise. That the Crosby decision is appearing in its own news articles is a testament to Crosby's popularity and his importance to the team, and not really an indication of any change to his status. We still don't know when he's coming back.
What we do now know the Penguins' season-opening roster. The most pressing issue now is the date of Crosby's return. Though the Pens went a respectable 24-13-5 after their star's injury last season, they still suffered a first-round playoff defeat against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and will look to rebound once the 2011/12 season begins.