As training camp for the 2025-26 NHL season is set to begin we take our final preseason over/under look for the Pittsburgh Penguins with a look at their three core players — Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.
Here are the previous Over/Under looks for this season.
- Over/Under for Pittsburgh Penguins young players
- Over/Under for Pittsburgh Penguins new veteran players
- Over/Under for Pittsburgh Penguins secondary players
Crosby, Malkin and Letang have played more seasons together than any trio of athletes in any of the four major sports, and will have at least one more season together this year.
Crosby is the one that has aged the best and remains
a top-tier player and producer in the NHL.
Let’s get into some numbers.
Sidney Crosby: Over/Under: 90.5 points
We already took a look this offseason at reasonable expectations for Crosby in his age 38 season, so some baseline expectations are already here for him.
Overall Crosby continues to age like a fine wine and is coming off his third consecutive 90 point season, all after turning 35 years old. Only one other player in NHL history has had as many 90-point seasons after their 35th birthday, and that is, of course, Wayne Gretzky. His 91 points in 2024-25 were tied (with Mario Lemieux) for the third-most ever in a single season for a player age 37 or older, while only one player (Gordie Howe, at the age of 40) has ever recorded at least 90 points in their age 38 season or older.
So if Crosby can get to the 90-point level again he would be doing so at a pretty unprecedented rate. Not only for having four 90-point seasons after the age of 35, but also doing so at age 38 or older.
Overall, there have only been six seasons with 80 points or more for a player age 38 or older, and it’s only been done twice since 1980. Adam Oates had 82 points during the 2000-01 season at the age of 38, while Teemu Selanne had 80 points during the 2010-11 season at the age of 40.
Given the rate that Crosby has performed at in recent years, as well as the fact he still has his top wingers in Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, it certainly seems like something that should be attainable.
Especially since he has only missed two games total over the past three seasons.
It would be an historic accomplishment if he can reach 90 points again, but Crosby is an historic player. The all-time greats are capable of doing all-time great things.
Evgeni Malkin: Over/Under: 60.5 points
While Crosby has continued to play at an elite level and do things that almost no players in NHL history have ever done, Malkin has started to slow down and show his age a little more.
His overall point totals have dropped in recent years, going from 83 points in 82 games during the 2022-23 season, down to 67 points in 82 games during the 2023-24 season, down to only 50 points in 68 games during the 2024-25 season.
Some of that is due to him not having the type of wingers that can play alongside him and produce, and part of it is just the simple fact that he has started to slow down.
I actually thought there were still a lot of times during the 2024-25 season that he still showed some flashes of dominance, even if it did not always translate over to the stat sheet.
The biggest issue that Malkin is going to have this season from an offensive standpoint, other than his own age and slowing down himself, is the fact the winger depth is not going to offer him many opportunities to play with top-line talent. He might get a lot of opportunities with some talented young guys like Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, and that might produce some good results at times, but even so both players are going to be dealing with their own growing pains as rookies in the NHL.
Even though it is not what we are accustomed to seeing from Malkin, a 60-point season at the age of 39 would be a strong season and something not many players in NHL history have ever accomplished.
It might also be a strong send-off for what might be Malkin’s final seasons in the NHL. It is reachable.
Kris Letang: Over/Under: 35.5 points
None of the Penguins’ big-three slowed down more, both literally and offensively, in 2024-25 than Letang. The 2024-25 season was easily one of the worst of his career, both in terms of his production and overall play. There were just moments where it was tough to watch as he was only a fraction of what he used to be at his peak. Letang is also the one player in the big-three that I could realistically see playing somewhere else before he retires (even if I do not think it is likely for that to happen).
Letang produced 30 points in 74 games this past season, but I am still going to set his number a little above that at 35.5 points.
It’s not an unheard of number for a defenseman in their age 38 season, and it’s actually been accomplished 23 times in NHL history, including most recently in 2023-24 (Brent Burns) and 2021-22 (Mark Giordano). Given the way he takes care of himself, as well as just the simple pride factor in wanting to have a better season, I wouldn’t put a bounce-back season past Letang for this season. We are not going to see him play at a Norris Trophy level anymore, but I also think it’s possible he comes back with a better and more productive performance this season.
