“How long will the Penguins window be open?”
I'll answer the question with a question: Does it look like Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby are slowing down?
Last night, Crosby answered with an emphatic "no!"
Here's betting Auston Matthews thought he'd be the best player on the ice last night. Nope, it was number 87.
Sidney Crosby missed 28 games this year with a core muscle injury. Since his return, he's put up 23 points in 13 games. Crosby, on the season, is averaging 1.33 points per game. That's good for sixth in the league.
I can't say that I've had more fun watching hockey than I am right now. McDavid, MacKinnon, Matthews, Eichel, Pastrnak, Draisaitl, and others are bringing an offensive punch back to the game that has been missing for a long time. They're all young, and they're spectacular.
Just don't tell Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin that they don't belong in the conversation among the NHL's elite playmakers and scorers. Sidney Crosby is sixth in the league in points per game and Evgeni Malkin is seventh.
The average age of the players ahead of Crosby in Malkin in points per game is 24.4. Sid is 32 years old, while Geno is 33.
The NHL has as impressive a group of young stars as I can remember, and even so, the Penguins top playmakers are more than just keeping pace.
So, "how long will the Penguins window open?" For as long as Crosby and Malkin can continue to dominate. They don't show any signs of slowing down.