Sidney Crosby has spent more than 20 years rewriting the Penguins record book, and the one line still standing in front of him is Mario Lemieux’s goals mark.
As the 2026-27 season approaches, Crosby sits at 654 goals in a Penguins uniform. That leaves him well ahead of nearly everyone else who has ever worn the sweater - except Lemieux, who finished with 690.
Crosby’s production has held up even as the miles have piled up. He scored 42 goals in the 2023-24 season, then added 29 last season. The question now is less about whether he can still score and more about how much runway he has left.
The path is simple on paper. Crosby needs 37 goals to pass Lemieux and 36 to tie him.
If he stays healthy and keeps the pace he has shown, the record could fall in a single season. If not, it may take two.
Availability is the big variable. Two seasons ago, Crosby played his third straight 80-plus game season, the first time he had ever reached that mark in his career.
Last season, he appeared in 68 games. That kind of consistency will decide whether this chase ends quickly or drags into another year.
Crosby has already moved past Lemieux in assists, points and games played. Still, he made it clear that one more Penguins record would not change how he views Lemieux’s place in the sport.
”He’s still No. 1 in my books. I don’t think you can put a stat line or a number on what he means to this team and to hockey.
In my mind, he’s still No. 1,” Crosby told .
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