Crosby's 4 Nations status up to him

Pittsburgh Penguins and Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby missed his second consecutive game Saturday due to an upper-body injury, but the veteran's status for next week's 4 Nations Face-Off is up to him.

"We will work with Sid and make the decision that is in his best interest," general manager Kyle Dubas told The Athletic's Rob Rossi.

"He is a special player and person. He deserves as much time and consideration as possible to determine what the best course of action is. Every day is a new day."

Crosby was injured Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils after absorbing an awkward hit. He briefly left the game but returned to close it out.

"He skated for a long time this morning. He felt significantly better today than he did yesterday, and that's that's really encouraging," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said earlier Saturday.

4 Nations squads have until Monday at 2 p.m. ET to make any injury replacements. The tournament begins Feb. 12 when Canada takes on Sweden in Montreal.

Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele has been told by Canada to be ready if Crosby or any other player can't participate, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

Crosby was one of the first six players Canada chose for the tournament last summer and was named captain Jan. 30. The 37-year-old leads the Penguins with 58 points in 55 games this season, and he added to his illustrious resume by joining the 600-goal club and moving into the top 10 in league history in points.