These four NHL veterans are off to a red-hot start to the 2025-26 season. Will they keep it up?
Who says you can’t be an NHL oldtimer and still be a significant contributor?
Of course, not every NHL player 35 or older is a dynamo when it comes to scoring. But here are four current NHL greybeards who are showing Father Time hasn’t caught up with them just yet.
In order of point total this season, here are four NHLers 35 or older having a hot start:
Evgeni Malkin, C, Pittsburgh Penguins
Malkin has been slowing down in recent years, posting only 34 assists and 50 points last season. But this year, the 39-year-old has 12 assists and 14 points in nine games.
That’s an unsustainable pace of 109 assists and 127 points. But if Malkin can be a point-per-game player like he was in 2022-23, the Penguins will be elated.
Like the other players on this list, Malkin is a financial bargain at his current salary of $6.1 million. Considering some thought this might be Malkin’s final NHL season, Malkin’s hot streak may persuade him to stick around a while longer.
The question is, will Malkin stay in Pittsburgh, or will the Penguins trade him to a Stanley Cup contender?
Emotional Player Tributes From The Last 10 Years
Following Brad Marchand's emotional return to Boston, we look back at some of the most emotional returns in the last decade.
John Tavares, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
Tavares is famous for being one of the most reliable point-per-game players in the NHL.
This year, he’s generated five goals and 12 points in nine games with the Maple Leafs. Tavares signed an extremely team-friendly contract extension this summer that pays him $4.38 million per season, and thus far this year, he’s been worth every penny and then some.
At 35, Tavares is entering the back nine of a phenomenal NHL career. But last season, he put up 38 goals – his most in a campaign since 2018-19 – and this season, he’s on pace for 45 goals, which would be two short of his career high.
Will he get there? It’s possible, if not probable. But Toronto needs all the offensive help it can get, and Tavares is doing more than his fair share.
Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh Penguins
In nine games with the Penguins this season, the 38-year-old Crosby has six goals and 11 points, putting him on pace for a 54-goal, 100-point season. If that sounds far-fetched for someone close to 40, consider that Crosby had 42 goals and 94 points just two years ago – and last year, he had 91 points.
In sum, Crosby is aging like fine wine, and the Penguins are thriving in the Metropolitan Division standings in large part because Crosby and Malkin are doing much of the heavy lifting.
Crosby has made it to the 50-goal plateau only once, but he’s been a 100-point player six times, and he could get back to that level this year.
Brad Marchand, LW, Florida Panthers
Marchand is in his first full season with the Panthers, and in his first 10 games, he’s produced five goals and 11 points. He’s doing it at the relatively low price of $5.25 million.
Florida gave Marchand a six-year contract extension this past summer, and the 37-year-old is delivering exactly what Panthers management had hoped for – leadership in the dressing room and reliable production on the ice.
The Panthers have been dealing with major injuries to star forwards Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, but Marchand’s stellar play out of the gate has eased some of the injury bug’s sting.
Florida will miss Marchand on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks due to a death in his family. Once he returns, he will look to continue to lead the team in scoring.
Marchand won’t be the same player in the final couple of years of this extension, but for now, it’s all going according to plan with him. And Florida is pleased they chose to keep Marchand around.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.