5 Sidney Crosby Milestones Within Reach in 2026-27 – The Hockey Writers – Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby will turn 39 on Aug. 7 with several major NHL milestones within reach during the 2026-27 season.

The Pittsburgh Penguins captain enters the season with 654 goals, 1,107 assists and 1,761 points through 1,420 regular-season games. He already holds Pittsburgh’s franchise scoring record and ranks seventh in NHL history, but another productive season could move him past two Hall of Fame centers and into the top five.

Crosby remains capable of attacking those marks after recording 29 goals and 74 points in 68 games last season. The NHL’s newly expanded 84-game schedule also gives him two additional opportunities to climb the league’s career lists.

Here are five major Crosby milestones to watch in 2026-27.

1. Crosby Can Pass Marcel Dionne for Sixth in Points

Crosby begins the season only 10 points behind Marcel Dionne, who finished his career with 1,771 points in 1,348 games.

He needs 10 points to tie Dionne and 11 to pass him for sixth place on the NHL’s all-time scoring list. Unless an early injury interrupts his season, this should be the first major milestone he reaches.

Dionne recorded 731 goals and 1,040 assists during 18 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers. He once ranked second in career scoring and remains one of the most productive players in league history despite never winning the Stanley Cup.

Passing Dionne would continue Crosby’s rapid movement through the rankings. He began last season behind Steve Yzerman and Mario Lemieux before passing both. Crosby also overtook Lemieux in December to become Pittsburgh’s all-time points leader.

The official NHL career points standings show how little separation remains between Crosby and the next two names. A normal start could move him into sixth place within the opening weeks.

2. Crosby Can Pass Ron Francis for Fifth

Crosby’s next target carries an additional connection to Penguins history.

Ron Francis retired with 1,798 points across 23 NHL seasons. Crosby needs 37 points to tie Francis and 38 to pass him for fifth place.

Francis spent parts of eight seasons with the Penguins after arriving from the Hartford Whalers in 1991. He helped Pittsburgh win consecutive Stanley Cup championships and recorded 613 points in 533 regular-season games with the organization.

Passing Francis would leave only Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr, Mark Messier and Gordie Howe ahead of Crosby. All four finished with at least 1,850 points, meaning fifth place would likely become Crosby’s highest attainable position during 2026-27.

The milestone should not require an extraordinary season. He has exceeded 38 points every season of his career, including ones shortened by injuries, labor disputes or other schedule disruptions. His previous 74-point campaign would carry him well beyond Francis.

A previous look at where Crosby could finish historically showed that fifth place may only be his next stop. How much higher he climbs will depend largely on how long he wants to continue playing.

3. Crosby Can Reach 1,800 Career Points

Passing Francis and reaching 1,800 points would occur almost simultaneously, but the round-number milestone deserves separate recognition.

Crosby needs 39 points to become the fifth player in NHL history to reach 1,800. Gretzky, Jagr, Messier and Howe are the only players currently above that total, while Francis ended his career two points short.

The achievement would provide another measurement of Crosby’s longevity. He reached 1,700 points in Oct. 2025, becoming the ninth NHL player to reach the mark. Adding another 100 points in fewer than two full seasons would demonstrate how productive he remains near the end of his career.

The official 1,700-point milestone recap noted that Crosby reached that total in 1,362 games. Only Gretzky, Lemieux and Dionne accomplished it in fewer appearances.

Crosby would have to produce the lowest full-season point total of his career to finish below 1,800. Injuries remain the greatest obstacle, but his scoring rate gives little reason to doubt the milestone if he remains reasonably healthy.

4. Crosby Can Play His 1,500th NHL Game

Crosby enters 2026-27 with 1,420 regular-season appearances, leaving him 80 games short of 1,500.

The milestone would have been nearly unreachable under the league’s previous 82-game format. The expanded 2026-27 NHL schedule gives every team 84 games, allowing Crosby to reach 1,500 while missing as many as four.

It is still the least likely milestone on the list. Crosby missed 14 regular-season games last season and would need exceptional availability to appear in at least 80 at age 39. Pittsburgh will also prioritize keeping him healthy rather than chasing a personal statistic, particularly if occasional rest gives him a better chance of remaining effective late in the season.

The possibility is realistic because Crosby appeared in 80 games as recently as 2024-25. Reaching 1,500 would place him among a small group in league history while making every one of those appearances for the Penguins.

Even if Crosby falls short, he could move close enough to reach the milestone early in 2027-28 should he sign another contract.

5. Crosby Can Extend His Point-Per-Game Record

Crosby’s most impressive attainable milestone may not involve passing another player.

He has averaged at least one point per game in each of his first 21 NHL seasons, extending his own league record. Gretzky previously held the mark with 19 consecutive point-per-game campaigns.

Crosby secured his 21st by finishing with 74 points in 68 games. The official record-extending game recap detailed how he ensured another point-per-game season during Pittsburgh’s April victory over the Florida Panthers.

Extending the streak to 22 will require Crosby to finish with at least as many points as games played. He would need 84 points if he appears in every game, 75 if he plays 75 or 70 if he appears in 70.

His recent scoring rate suggests the achievement remains realistic. Crosby averaged 1.09 points per game last season and has continued producing despite injuries, lineup changes and Pittsburgh’s transition toward a younger roster.

The streak may say more about his consistency than any round-number total. Career scoring rankings reward longevity and accumulation, but Crosby has never experienced a season in which his offensive rate fell below one of the sport’s defining standards.

It was among the most significant Penguins milestones from last season. Reaching 22 would create even more separation between Crosby and every other player in NHL history.

Crosby Can Continue Rewriting NHL History

Crosby no longer needs another milestone to establish his place among hockey’s greatest players. The 2026-27 season can still strengthen his position within that group.

Passing Dionne should happen relatively early. Passing Francis and reaching 1,800 points are realistic expectations if Crosby remains healthy. Playing his 1,500th game will require exceptional availability, while extending his point-per-game record may be the most meaningful achievement of the five.

Crosby has spent more than two decades making difficult standards look routine. At 39, another season gives him five more opportunities to do it again.