The Pittsburgh Penguins were a great surprise this season. After many expected them to be among the worst teams in the NHL, the Penguins instead finished second in the Metropolitan Division standings and made the playoffs. Sidney Crosby was one of the biggest reasons for the Penguins' major turnaround this season. This is because the 38-year-old center was once again dominant for the Penguins, posting 29 goals, 45 assists, and 74 points in 68 games. With this, Crosby averaged more than a point per game for the 21st season in a row. Due to how wonderfully Crosby played this season, he has earned himself a nice shout-out. The Hockey News had Crosby at the No. 12 spot for their top 100 players of the 2025-26 season rankings [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/top-100-nhl-players-in-2026-11-to-20]. Given how well Crosby played yet again this season, it is easy to understand why he has been named as one of the NHL's best players for this campaign. Crosby just continues to thrive as his career carries on, and he is showing zero signs of slowing down. It is going to be fascinating to see what kind of season he will put together for the Pens in 2026-27 from here.
