Pittsburgh Penguins star forward Evgeni Malkin has been one of the best players of his generation, and he will undoubtedly be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame once his career is over.
At 37 years old, Malkin is still a very impactful top-six forward, and his statistics this past season display that. In 82 games, the 2004 second-overall pick recorded 27 goals to go along with 67 points. Overall, it was another good offensive campaign for the 18-year veteran, and he will look to maintain this kind of play in 2024-25 from here.
Malkin is nearing a massive milestone, as he needs just four points to become the 37th player in NHL history to record 1,300 career points. In addition, he stands a good shot of passing several players in the record book if he keeps up his elite play next season. One specific player who he has the potential of passing is Boston Bruins legend Johnny Bucyk.
Bucyk ended his remarkable NHL career with 1,369 points and currently sits at 27th all-time. For Malkin to pass the Bruins legend next season, he would need to record 74 points. While that is a bit more than Malkin’s totals last season, it would not be too shocking if he reached it if he stays healthy. Keep in mind, just back in 2022-23, Malkin had 27 goals and 83 points in 82 games.
Bucyk is not the only former Bruin who Malkin could pass next season, either. He needs five points to pass Jarome Iginla and 43 points to pass Dave Andreychuk. These should not be an issue for Malkin if he remains healthy.
All-time points:
24th — Luc Robataille (1,394pts)
25th — Brett Hull (1,391pts)
26th — Mike Modano (1,374pts)
27th — Johnny Bucyk (1,369pts)
28th — Brendan Shanahan (1,354pts)
29th — Guy Lafleur (1,353pts)
30th — Mats Sundin (1,349pts)
31st — Denis Savard (1,338pts)
32nd — Dave… pic.twitter.com/Rk5DpoP5GL— Big Head Hockey (@BigHeadHcky) July 16, 2024
Nevertheless, seeing Malkin have the potential to pass some of the greatest players in NHL history in points shows how outstanding of a career he has had. Seeing how high he moves up the record book from here will be intriguing.