CROSBY WATCH 2012: Crosby Goes to Sleep, Then Wakes Up the Next Morning!!!!

If you're like me, the thought of another Sidney Crosby mention might make you want to throw up in your mouth a little. Maybe more than just a little. DID YOU HEAR?! Crosby was petting his cat, Doug, after a tough workout today!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all heard. Crosby is coming back on Thursday night against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, according to the Los Angeles Times. Every hockey television camera will be focused on his every move deke, tweak, hit, spit and even if he takes a, er, trip to the bathroom.

While it is understood that Crosby is the unspoken golden boy of the NHL, did we really miss him that much?

Hey, Sid, while you were away, there were a bunch of other superstars that showed that the NHL is a hell of a lot more than one over verbalized name. Granted, some of them have names that are hard to pronounce, and some who don't speak English (well).

But there is a new generation of superstars that make us jump out of our seats or make us text "did you see THAT!!! WOW!!".

There's also another guy in Pittsburgh that has the Penguins sitting in a pretty good spot for the captain's return. He's a 6'3", 215-pound Russian freight train with magical hands and a mile long stride that happens to be running away with the Art Ross, and most likely Hart Trophies.

So when No. 87 does lace up the skates in New York City on Thursday, who will be Batman, and who will be Robin?

While there is no truth to the rumor that Malkin is making Crosby learn Russian to communicate better on the ice, even Pens fans have to wonder who's team is this.

Meanwhile, back in the NHL, the scoring table (headed by Malkin) is full of names we all need to get better acquainted with. Steven Stamkos, Phil Kessel, Claude Giroux, Erik Karlsson, and John Tavares are all under the age of 25. They NEED to be crammed down our throats with one-eighteenth the might that Sid the Kid has and was.

If Gary Bettman wants to grow the NHL, he needs to put cameras all over these young guns, and take some off the Pittsburgh captain. A large part of the Crosby backlash has to do with the ridiculous coverage of his every move over the last 18 months. Let him share the spotlight with other guys.

How has the NHL promoted itself in Crosby's absence? Quick answer. They haven’t. They have been in mourning since last year when Crosby first left. Well, Sid is back, for now. While the NHL starts trumpeting his return, it's time to start sticking some new faces alongside Crosby's.