Sidney Crosby Cleared for Contact: What This Means for the Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby wore a black helmet like everyone else at practice today, as he was cleared for contact, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 

Crosby has not been cleared to play in an actual NHL game yet, but this latest development in his recovery from multiple concussions is a great step forward.

When healthy, Crosby is the best player in the league. He's the most complete offensive player and the closest thing we've seen to Wayne Gretzky since he retired in 1999.

This is a great sign not only for the Penguins, but the NHL as a whole. If Crosby can get back to the team's lineup soon, the Penguins will be the Stanley Cup favorite.

Before his 2010-11 season ended in January, Crosby was on pace to have his best offensive season, with an astounding 32 goals and 34 assists.

Last season the Penguins were the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs despite not having Crosby and superstar teammate Evgeni Malkin for much of the second half of the season. They ultimately ended up losing in the first-round to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games.

Malkin is back from major knee surgery this season and looks to be in good shape. If Crosby returns, the Penguins will once again have their duo that led them to two Stanley Cup appearances (2008 and 2009) and one title (2009).

The Penguins are an incredibly well coached team, led by 2011 Jack Adams Award winner Dan Bylsma.

With Crosby and Malkin healthy, the Penguins are the class of the eastern conference. No team has a scoring duo like the Penguins and the team as a whole will be more confident with their two leaders back on the ice together.

Even though Crosby hasn't been cleared to play in real games yet, being cleared to participate in contact drills during practice is a great sign. The fact that he has been deemed healthy enough to get hit again means his recovery has gone pretty well.

Whether or not Crosby plays any differently will remain to be seen. Will he look over his shoulder more, afraid to get hit? Will he play with less aggressiveness?

It's not uncommon to see players who have undergone head injuries lose a bit of the edge and intensity they once played with and Crosby will certainly have to watch himself on the ice. 

Teams always try to be physical with him and knock him off his game. Will somebody take a shot on Crosby and possibly injure him further, threatening his career?

We'll have to see, but it's a good thing he does have Matt Cooke on his team, who seems to be the recent leader in cheap shots.

Sidney Crosby returning to the Penguins is great for the sport of hockey and will bring excitement back to the game.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting healthy, which means that the rest of the Eastern Conference should be very worried.

For updates on all NHL news throughout the season, follow Nick Goss on Twitter. Follow @NicholasGoss35

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.