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BY MATT NOONAN

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

As the NHL prepares to drop the puck on the start of a new season, the league is still missing its biggest star.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby still isn't ready to play. The 24-year-old has been fighting post-concussion symptoms for more than 9 months.

WTAE in Pittsburgh reports that Crosby still doesn’t know when he will return:

“Crosby ruled himself out for the Penguins opener in Vancouver. The center and captain says his recovery from a concussion, diagnosed back on January 6th, is going well. But he’s not skating into game day just yet. He will, however, be traveling with the team.”

Crosby may not be ready to play just yet, but EJ Hradek of the NHL Network says the Pens captain will see plenty of action this season:

“I think he's moving along at a good pace right now. The next step is to be cleared for contact. But I think that's where it's going. And I think once he gets back, he's going to wait till he's 100%. And I could see him playing 60 games this year once he gets going again.”

Although Hradek sees positive signs, one SB Nation blogger doesn't share his optimism:

“So he's back and he's skating, but he isn't really playing hockey yet (depending on the semantic question of whether hockey without hard contact counts as 'real hockey'). In other words, nothing has really changed about Crosby's status.”

His status may not have changed much, but USA Today's Kevin Allen says a particular aspect of Crosby's game has aided in his recovery off the ice:

“On the ice, Crosby always seems to have the patience that allows him to wait for the right scoring chance. That quality seems to be his best ally in trying to return.”

The NHL will officially start the 2011-2012 season on Thursday night.

Transcript By Newsy