What Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are doing thus far in their 20th and 21st seasons, respectively, is nearly unprecedented. The best 20th season, regardless of age, in NHL history belongs to none other than Crosby, who, just last season, recorded 33 goals and 58 assists for 91 points in 80 games played. Malkin, now in his 20th season, is chasing those numbers this season and is on pace to match or exceed them. Through 17 games this season, Malkin has 21 points, good for 1.23 points per game or a pace for 100 points if he were to play all 82 games. He is currently leading the NHL in assists with 18.
Crosby, in his 21st season, is chasing Gordie Howe. During Howe’s 21st season, he recorded 25 goals and 40 assists for 65 points in 69 games played during the 1966-67 season. Crosby is certainly on-pace to shatter that record with 20 points through 17 games so far this season, which is a pace for 96 points if he were to play all 82 games.
HOWEver, Howe has set the bar for players in their 20th season or above. Howe got better with age. In his 22nd season he recorded 82 points and in his 23rd season he recorded an astounding 103 points! Crosby is seemingly always looking for new sources of motivation, so he has Howe’s records to chase in his next two seasons, along with a plethora of other records in his sights.
If you take out the factor of what number season it is for a player in the league, e.g. 20th, 21st, etc., and just look at best seasons by a player at age 37+, you will see a lot of recognizable names on the list, including many former Penguins. Take a look at this list below:
As you can see from the list, Malkin, 39, is chasing Howe’s age 39, 82-point season and Crosby, 38, is chasing Adam Oates’ age 38, 82-point season. If Malkin catches Oates’ 82 points, it would mark his 16th season of averaging at least a point per game. If Crosby catches Howe’s 82 points, it would only add to his record-breaking point per game record. He set the record last season at 20-consecutive seasons of at least a point per game, surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s record of 19 seasons.
In looking at the list, Howe is the standard by which all older players are measured. He recorded 308 points during his age 39-42 seasons alone, an average of 77 points per season. Sure, that was a different era, but still impressive nonetheless. The next closest model of consistency is, of course, the ageless former Penguin, Jaromir Jagr. He recorded 350 points during his age 40-45 seasons.
You can also see from the list that the best seasons by age, predictably, become less and less impressive the older the players get. If Crosby or Malkin decide to play until age 45, certainly not out of the realm of possibility for Crosby, they will only need to surpass 12 total points to have the best season for a skater at that age. That being said, Jagr’s 66 points in 79 games at age 43 is amazing. Maybe even more amazing is that he played all 82 games the next season at age 44, recording a respectable 46 points.
Malkin and Crosby have a few milestones within reach this season. Malkin can likely leapfrog Johnny Bucyk, Mike Modano, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille, and Jari Kurri to move into 23rd place on the all-time points list. Currently he sits 31 points behind Kurri. Meanwhile, Crosby is just 16 points behind his former teammate, landlord, and owner, Mario Lemieux, for eighth place on the all-time points list. He is also just 31 games shy of 1,400 games played.
Malkin’s contract is up at the end of this season, while Crosby’s expires at the end of next season. If they keep on playing at their current levels, it is conceivable that both could sign another deal with the Penguins. Any potential new deal would likely be for a single season, two at the most.
If both do decide to continue their careers past the end of their current deals, they will both have all-time milestones for games played, goals, assists, and total points well within their reach. While neither Malkin nor Crosby have anything left to prove, each accumulated point just adds to their incredible legacies.
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