Sidney Crosby Out: Will He Ever Be 100 Percent Healthy Again?

USA Today broke the news earlier today that Pittsburgh Penguins captain and star forward Sidney Crosby has been sidelined with concussion-like symptoms.

This news comes on the heels of an announcement that Crosby had been set to miss a few games as a precaution.

The question on everyone's mind now has to be: Will Crosby ever be 100-percent healthy again?

Hockey certainly is a fast-paced and high-octane physical sport. There will always be bumps, bruises, cuts, vicious checks and other physical play. That is the nature of the sport, and there are obvious risks involved.

The New York Times did a great job explaining Boston University's study on how multiple concussions can really alter the brain. While this study looked at fighters who went through repeated head trauma, the study can be looked at in a similar light. 

Looking at Crosby's situation, things do not look good.

Crosby missed the second half of the 2010-11 season and games early on this year. It took him many months to get into a position where he could just skate. The next step was resuming hockey activities, and lastly he needed to be cleared for contact. 

The toughest thing with concussions is that you may feel better for days and weeks, but months later you could completely regress and be unsuitable for play.

We have seen this with Marc Staal of the New York Rangers, who finished the regular season and felt the remnants of a concussion in training camp this offseason. David Perron of the St. Louis Blues just returned this season after a very lengthy stint of being sidelined with a concussion. Last but not least, Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins continues to be sidelined after a massive hit by Matt Cooke that left him concussed. 

What makes this latest setback a devastating one for Crosby is that even after almost a full year of recovery, rest and rebuilding, he came back and played in a few games with contact, but now he is back on the shelf. This is a terrifying fact, because despite all the precautions and down time, players are still feeling symptoms. 

While not all concussions are the same, Crosby's appears to be more severe than the other players I listed. His concussion and play remind me of a young Eric Lindros.

Before Sidney Crosby was even diagnosed with a concussion, he was being compared to Eric Lindros. Lindros was a star so highly touted, the Philadelphia Flyers practically sold the farm to acquire him from the Quebec Nordiques.

Critics wonder what Lindros' career could have been like had he not succumbed to an early retirement due to the very physical nature of multiple concussions. Lindros was a player who put up very impressive numbers early on. Had he remained completely healthy his entire career, he could have become a face of the league.

Now we look at Crosby, who is the face of the sport and one of its best players. One has to wonder when Crosby eventually returns, will he be the same player?

Oftentimes, players are a bit cautious getting back on the ice. It is a psychological defense mechanism. The mind tries to use these mechanisms to bury away our fears and apprehensions that are associated with people, places or objects.

With this in mind, will Crosby have the same tenacity, the same spark and the same guile that is required to be an effective player? Crosby may have a lot of haters because of his skills and tactics, but he is a very effective hockey player.

We can look at the physical effects that concussions have on players, but the mental effects can be more devastating.

Crosby is a playmaking center who likes to set up shots from Gretzky's office. Will he be more hesitant to play along the boards because it makes him a prime target for a check?

How will Crosby react when going through the neutral zone into the offensive zone under a tight forecheck in which he is likely to be checked?

Crosby may never be the same player he was. Even if that is the case, that isn't stopping him from being a good hockey player. For a person that easily could hit the 100-point mark year, maybe Crosby becomes a 75-80-point player. That just speaks to how talented a player Crosby is.

Could Sidney Crosby become Eric Lindros 2.0? Could he be a player that was a shining star whose career was ultimately cut short?

For the sake of the league, it would be terrible if Crosby was forced into retirement. While this story is only in its earliest stages, it is definitely one that should be closely monitored.

Tom Urtz is an NHL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.