Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sam Poulin put together an impressive performance at the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo. For the second consecutive season, the Pittsburgh Penguins are slated to be the oldest team the NHL has to offer. According to CapFriendly, the Penguins projected opening night roster is set to have an average age of 30.8, the highest in the league. The Washington Capitals fall in second, but over a year younger with an average age of 29.7. Much of the average age on the Penguins is thanks to their core players all being over the age of 35. Sidney Crosby turned 36 this past summer, Evgeni Malkin not long before that, and Kris Letang hit 36 just after the 2022-23 season ended. There may have been a lot of turnover in the bottom six, but the biggest addition to the Penguins lineup is also increasing in age. Erik Karlsson joins the Penguins as the reigning Norris Trophy winner, but he’s 33-years-old. According to votes from The Hockey News teams sites writers, Crosby and Karlsson are among the players most likely to show signs of aging this upcoming season. With plenty of votes being given out to players across the NHL, Crosby finished second in the voting and Karlsson in third. It’s fair to assume Father Time will catch up with everyone at some point, but Crosby and Karlsson are likely going to fend him off at least another year or two. Crosby has yet to have a season under a point-per-game and will be hungrier than ever to win in the 2023-24 season. After missing the postseason for the first time since his rookie season, Crosby was extremely unhappy and will be looking to turn back the clock. The only signs of aging Crosby may show this year is some grey hair that he sported during the annual season ticket delivery day. As for Karlsson, coming off of a historic 101-point season, he’ll be playing with new expectations in Pittsburgh. Karlsson stated he found his love for hockey again despite being on a struggling San Jose Sharks team. Now, playing on a team that has a chance to contend for the Stanley Cup, Karlsson should feel rejuvenated to a whole new degree. Will he hit 100 points again? Probably not, and that will technically be a sign of a setback or aging, but Karlsson will likely be the Penguins biggest offensive contributor from the blue line. Current free agent Patrick Kane was awarded the most votes as most likely to show signs of aging, but with only one more than Crosby. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Study Finds Penguins Fans Among Biggest Drinkers in NHL [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/study-pittsburgh-penguins-fans-biggest-drinkers-nhl] Former Penguins Traded for Each Other [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/former-pittsburgh-penguins-traded-each-other] Penguins' Erik Karlsson Voted To Have Setback in 2023-24 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-erik-karlsson-voted-setback-2023-24] Top Penguins Prospect Could Earn NHL Roster Spot [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/top-pittsburgh-penguins-prospect-nhl-roster-spot] Penguins Release Training Camp Roster and Schedule [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-training-camp-roster-schedule] * undefined * undefined Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTkwMDEyNjI0OTM4MzYw/img_6014.jpg]
