Without Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin Must Lead Pittsburgh Penguins

Evgeni Malkin has been training every day this summer in order to rehab from a terrible knee injury that ended his season early last year, and the Pittsburgh Penguins need him healthy for most of the season with captain Sidney Crosby still battling concussion symptoms.

"I have known 'Geno' (Malkin) for five years now and I have never seen him this committed to getting healthier and wanting to do well," said Penguins strength and conditioning coach Mike Kadar earlier this month.

Malkin tore his ACL and MCL in his right knee back in February and needed surgery to recover. The plan is for Malkin to be ready for training camp, and it appears he is on schedule to meet that goal.

“It’s good, but not 100 percent yet, maybe 90. I’m skating it hard, but my knee feels good..." said Malkin to MSNBC earlier this month.

With Crosby's status uncertain, Malkin must carry the Penguins offensively and be a leader on the ice.

After two back-to-back 100-point seasons from 2007-09, he scored just 77 points in 2009-10 and only had 37 points when he injured his knee last season. 

Malkin's production must improve, and there's no reason why it can't.

The Penguins have a solid group of players around him, and despite missing Malkin and Crosby for months last year, the Penguins were very competitive and barely missed the second round of the NHL playoffs.

At 25 years old, there is no question that Malkin will get better.

His defensive skills improved last season, and adding his offensive production into a lineup that lacked a game changer in the playoffs will really boost the Penguins.

But Malkin can't slip into his droughts that cause him to hurt the Penguins in games. Too often does he disappear in games, whereas Sidney Crosby is much more consistent.

Malkin's unbelievable work ethic that has helped him recover so quickly from an injury that normally takes a year to recover from is remarkable, and the Penguins will feel less anxious going into the season knowing they have at least one of their superstar players healthy and ready to go in the season opener.

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"I want to play my best for the team," Malkin said in a Fox News article. "I want to improve my skating, strengthen both my legs and become a faster skater. I want to be better for the whole year.

"I want to help my team with the Stanley Cup."

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With Malkin healthy, the Penguins will compete for Lord Stanley's cup, but without Sidney Crosby, they'll lack the firepower to win it.

Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins featured columnist for Bleacher Report, and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston. Follow him on Twitter for Bruins & NHL news and analysis.