Sidney Crosby: Making the NHL Star's Case for the Hockey Hall of Fame

NHL great Sidney Crosby has been sidelined with a concussion since the 2011 Winter Classic. On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Penguins released a sobering statement saying that there is no timetable for his return.

Concussions are the No. 1 hot-button issue in sports right now. It seems as if the severity of a concussion has multiplied overnight. While concussions are no laughing matter, they are changing the landscape of sports and Sidney Crosby's concussion is no different.

Love him or hate him, Sidney Crosby is the NHL's top star. Once dubbed "The Next One"—after Wayne Gretzky, of course—Crosby has withstood the pressure and lived up to the hype.

24-year-old Crosby has been told that he will be able to return to action on the ice. While this may be true, no one quite knows if and when his return to the game will take place. 

Will Sidney Crosby play another NHL game? Will he be able to play at the level that he did before his injury? If he doesn't return to the game in the same dominant fashion or doesn't return at all, is he already bound for the Hockey Hall of Fame?

The fact of the matter is that Sidney Crosby is already Hall of Fame material. Even though he just turned 24 on August 7, his accolades are already astounding.

Crosby has scored more than 100 points in four out of his six seasons. The two seasons where he didn't meet the 100 goal mark were cut short due to injury. Crosby played in just 41 games last year because of his concussion, but still tallied 66 points. He has 215 goals and 357 assists in only 412 career games played. 

Crosby has also won an Art Ross Trophy and a Rocket Richard Trophy for most points scored in a season, as well as a Hart Memorial Trophy for MVP and a Stanley Cup.

He was the leader in points when he went down last season and would've undoubtedly won the Art Ross, Rocket Richard and Hart Memorial again. 

Last but not least, Sidney Crosby scored the game-winning goal in overtime of the gold medal Olympic game in 2010 for his home country of Canada. Scoring the game-winning overtime goal for your home country on home ice: priceless. 

Hopefully Crosby will return to true form in the near future. Until then, fans will just have to wait and see. 

Regardless of if or when he returns, his numbers cannot be denied. Sidney Crosby is one of the NHL greats.