With the 2025-26 NHL season approaching, the Pittsburgh Penguins may not end up being the most exciting team on the ice in the league, but they still have a few players who will give the fans exciting individual moments. Amongst these players are Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang. Each of these three players is closing in on career milestones this upcoming season and has a good chance at further etching their names in the history books.
Sidney Crosby
- 16 goals away from overtaking Dave Andreychuk for 15th all-time (640)
- Two assists away from overtaking Steve Yzerman for 9th all-time (1,063), and 18 away from overtaking Adam Oates for 8th all-time (1,079)
- 13 points away from 1,700 in his career, 37 away from overtaking Mario Lemieux for 8th all-time and first in organization history (1,723)
The captain continues to defy Father Time with his play, tallying 91 points last season. If he can stay healthy and play at the same kind of level he has over the past few seasons, there should be no problem with him reaching each of these career milestones. Crosby continues to be the model of consistency, not just for the Penguins, but for the entire NHL. He has already established himself as one of the greatest players to ever play in the league, but continuing to climb up the all-time ranks will further entrench him on the Mount Rushmore of NHL players and put him right with Penguins legend Mario Lemieux as the two most important players in the organization’s history.
Tristan Jarry
- Seven games away from 300 in his career
While not an all-time milestone, reaching 300 games played in his career would be a solid milestone for Tristan Jarry to have reached. After signing the extension he did back in 2023, it was expected that he would be the lead guy going forward for the organization. Things have not worked out that way, as Jarry has struggled to find his game and consistency. He should be able to reach 300 games early on in the season, as long as he plays decent enough to keep the starting job for the new head coach, Dan Muse.
Erik Karlsson
- 16 games away from 1,600 in his career
While his time in Pittsburgh has been met with some scrutiny, Erik Karlsson has still been the offensive defenseman that many have expected him to be. He was never going to come to the Penguins and replicate his 2022-23 season, which he had with the San Jose Sharks, where he racked up 101 points and won the Norris Trophy (league’s best defenseman), but he has put up 40-plus points in both of his seasons in a Penguins jersey and has played in each game in that span. He should have no problem playing in 16 games this season.
Kris Letang
- 25 goals away from 200 in his career
- Three assists away from 600 in his career
- 39 games away from 1,200 played in his career
Another mainstay and model of consistency in the Penguins’ lineup over the past decade-plus, Kris Letang has established himself as one of the best defensemen in the organization’s history (at least statistically). Reaching 25 goals this season may be a stretch for Letang to get to, having never reached even the 20-goal mark in a single season. Nonetheless, he should be able to get halfway to that 25 mark this season and climb closer to the 200 career mark.
Related: Penguins Defense Still Needs Work Heading Into 2025-26
Assist-wise, Letang should have no issue reaching 600 with being three away from doing so. On top of that, he should be able to reach the 1,200 games played mark, barring injury. Over the last five seasons, he has not played fewer than 55 games in a season.
Milestones to Be Had in the Penguins Organization
While they may not end up being one of the league’s better teams this season, the Penguins have plenty of individual career milestones for their fans to keep an eye on throughout the season for a couple of beloved players. The excitement level will be high for players like Crosby and Letang to reach their milestones, while players like Jarry and Karlsson will certainly be celebrated for theirs as well.
