When Sidney Crosby signs an extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins, could he continue to play at a high level to achieve the unthinkable: 2,000 points?

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is days away from signing an extension with the only club he’s ever played for. As the sole captain to lead the franchise to three Stanley Cups, there’s not much left for him to achieve in black and gold.

Or is there?

Heading into the 2024-25 season, Crosby is just 127 points away from tying his former landlord and linemate Mario Lemieux, who holds the club record with 1,723 points.

Primetime Crosby would have that done in a season, while seasoned veteran Crosby needs a season and a bit now.

If the soon-to-be 37-year-old signs a three-year extension (as rumored) and continues to produce at a point-per-game pace that he has throughout his entire career, he would top more than 1,900 points.

Based on an 82-point production rate during those three seasons, there’s a chance he collects 1,924 points. Entering the 2028-29 campaign at 41, Crosby would need 76 points to become the second skater in NHL history to surpass 2,000 points.

Achieving 2,000 points during the salary cap era and with the same franchise (barring a move) would be a record that would never be broken, right next to Gretzky’s 2,857 points, Glenn Hall’s 502 consecutive game streak and Bobby Orr's eight straight Norris Trophy wins. 

However, before anyone gets ahead of themselves, many legendary names are ahead of him on the all-time scoring list, and Crosby has many more games to play and points to score. 

As humble as Crosby is, personal achievements take a back seat to team accomplishments. Knowing how passionate a leader he is, he will focus on winning another Stanley Cup rather than breaking Lemieux’s team records.

Yet, when the news breaks that he’s staying in Pittsburgh, the length of his extension will get everyone talking about chasing down some iconic milestones. 

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Here’s a quick cheat sheet to some of the marks within his grasp with an extension with the Penguins:

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Crosby has meant to an entire generation of hockey fans in Pittsburgh, Canada, and across the Globe. 

As arguably the best player in professional hockey since his debut in 2005, when he finally signs an extension, there’s a chance he continues to build upon one of the greatest legacies of all time.

As crazy as it sounds in July 2024, it is not out of the realm of possibility that No. 87 skates into his 40s and achieves milestones that no one expected to see matched in our lifetimes.