Crosby could be heading into uncharted territory…again
Sidney Crosby is having an incredible start to the season. The Penguins captain has 12 goals and 22 points through the first 17 games of the season, putting him on an early pace of 58 goals and 106 points. Its production and prices in 5v5 are almost literally off the charts. He has only been held in check in two games all season. It’s nothing new, but Crosby does it all (well, aside from scoring on the power play, but that’s a different topic for another day).
The amazing thing is that it’s not 2017, or 2014, or even 2017, Crosby is still doing these things in 2023, at the age of 36. If he continues, he will find himself in unprecedented territory for his age.
From QuantHockey.comhere’s a look at the best seasons of all time for 36-year-old players.
They’re big hitters, and the Pens don’t have to look far to remember last season, when Evgeni Malkin had a quality year at an advanced age to rank as the sixth-best season at the 36 years old with 83 points.
Crosby could be on track to go even higher; Alex Ovechkin holds the mark for most goals at age 36 (50), and Crosby still has a long way to go for his first 50+ goal season since 2009-10, but with the way he’s playing and shoots the puck, would you have the confidence to say he could do it? I will not do it.
Beyond individual marks, the year Teemu Selanne had in 2006-07 is surely the type of season Crosby aspires to have. (As an aside, it’s amazing that Crosby is as old right now as Selanne was in 2007 or Gretzky was in 1998, isn’t it? Old Wayner only played one season more after the one highlighted above, so let that sink in…)
Speaking of which, 36-year-old Mario Lemieux had his 2001-02 season playing only 24 games in the NHL while recording 31 points. It was a tough year, the magic of his return had worn off, Jaromir Jagr was gone and Lemieux’s hip wasn’t in great shape. By far, it seemed like the most important thing for Mario was keeping his health on track until the 2002 Olympics, which he competed in and helped Canada win a gold medal. (Lemieux would have one more truly magical season in the NHL at age 37 in the coming year). But it’s also crazy to think that Crosby is the same age as this dilapidated, weathered version of Lemieux today, considering how much gas in the tank Crosby seems to have these days.
Anyway, back from the longest tangent ever and the point a few paragraphs above – Selanne was great for the Ducks in 2006-07, leading them in scoring while scoring the most points all-time record at age 36 (or tied with then-Jean Ratelle, anyway) and help Anaheim win the Stanley Cup. Selanne would also play seven more seasons in the NHL after that one, which I’m not sure is in store for Sid, but hey, sign me up.
The list above shows that it’s nothing new for older players at 36 to accumulate between 75 and 85 points, but with Crosby starting this year, he might be able to set the bar again for everyone.
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