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Updated 27 minutes ago
DENVER – In one sense, when a team is considered an offensive juggernaut if it averages three goals per game, the NHL is still in the heart of its dead puck era.
In another sense, though, the league is in a golden age of scorers.
As Sidney Crosby sat on the edge of a milestone with 998 career points coming into Thursday night's game against the Colorado Avalanche, he was poised to become the third NHL player to hit the 1,000-point mark in just about a month.
Washington's Alex Ovechkin did it Jan. 11, and Vancouver's Henrik Sedin followed suit nine days later.
The last time three players hit 1,000 in the same calendar year, it was Brendan Shanahan, Jeremy Roenick and Mike Modano in 2002.
Add Crosby, Ovechkin and Sedin to a list that already included Jaromir Jagr, Joe Thornton, Jarome Iginla, Marian Hossa and Patrick Marleau, and there are players who have pushed their point totals to four digits in every corner of the league.
“The speed at which the guys play now is better than the way it was in the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and early 2000s. So it's a different game,” said Penguins assistant general manager Bill Guerin, who retired with 856 points in 2010.
“I just hope people appreciate what they're seeing now. What they've seen in Jagr. What they see in Sid. What they see in Ovi. What they're going to see in Auston Matthews and (Connor) McDavid. We're lucky to have that next generation coming. It's so much fun to watch this one.”
Here's a look at the 10 active players most likely to join the 1,000-point club some day.
1. Daniel Sedin, Canucks: Sedin has slowed down to less than half a point per game, but he's already got 970. All he has to do is stick around for one more year.
2. Evgeni Malkin, Penguins: Every time he hits a milestone, Malkin likes to joke that he's old, but he's only 30. He's had his share of injuries too, but it seems inevitable that he'll get 186 more points.
3. McDavid, Oilers: It might seem premature to consider a 20-year-old with 108 career points a likely 1,000-point scorer, but injuries are the only thing that could derail him.
4. Patrick Kane, Blackhawks: Kane is nowhere near his 106-point pace of a season ago, but even if he's at the beginning of a decline, he still has 716 points at age 28.
5. Henrik Zetterberg, Red Wings: If he plays out the remaining four years on his contract, the 36-year-old Zetterberg easily should get the 126 points he needs. But will he?
6. John Tavares, Islanders: Tavares has a playmaking style that attracts points, he's only 26 and he could be due for a boost in production after he hits free agency at the end of next season. He's at 514.
7. Nicklas Backstrom, Capitals: As long as Ovechkin keeps bombing away from the left dot, his underrated trigger man will have a shot at 1,000. At age 29, he needs 304 more.
8. Shane Doan, Coyotes: This could be a case of so close yet so far away. Doan only needs 38 more points, but he's 40 and could retire after this season.
9. Anze Kopitar, Kings: Known more for his two-way game, Kopitar has quietly topped 60 points each of the last three seasons. He's 29 and has 284 more points to go.
10. Eric Staal, Wild: He's having a career rebirth as a high-end scorer in Minnesota this season. He's 32 and has 176 points to go, but the fit between player and team seems right.
Other candidates (listed with point total and age): Ryan Getzlaf, Ducks (780, 31); Rick Nash, Rangers (759, 32); Patrice Bergeron, Bruins (647, 31); Phil Kessel, Penguins (629, 29); Jonathan Toews, Blackhawks (597, 28); Matthews (44, 19).
Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jbombulie@tribweb.com or via Twitter at @BombulieTrib.
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