Three Older NHL Stars Struggling In The Early Parts Of The 2026-27 Season; Will They Bounce Back?

NHL stars in their late-30s must battle Father Time to stay as effective as they were during their outstanding careers. Some are defying the aging process, but others – including Sidney Crosby and Patrick Kane – are struggling to succeed this year. What's fair to expect from older star players?If you’ve been around long enough, you know aging can present some significant issues. If you’re a professional athlete who has performed at an elite level, the effect of aging means there’s really no telling when your impact isn’t going to be what you wanted it to be – and when you get to a point it may never be again.The NHL is no different. As we get past the 10-percent mark of the 2026-27 regular season, a number of prominent veterans – including a few superstar talents – are struggling to replicate their career-long success as needle-movers. Indeed, some brand-name NHLers are currently on pace for the worst seasons of their career. Are they past their prime? This writer will have to answer that on a case-by-case basis.Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh PenguinsFor starters, let’s look at one of the greatest players in hockey history – Pittsburgh Penguins icon Sidney Crosby. The 39-year-old center has posted only seven points in 13 games this year – a point-per-game pace of 0.54, which is far below his career point-per-game average of 1.23. Related storiesCrosby is averaging 19:17 of ice time this season, essentially identical to his 19:14 average last season. Penguins coach Dan Muse isn’t overloading Crosby with too much work, but we can see Crosby pushing through his early-season struggles and emerging on the other side. And there’s a perfect example of a greybeard star finding success in Penguins center Evgeni Malkin. The 40-year-old Malkin has 11 points in 12 games this season, a pace that would keep him a point-per-game producer. But Malkin is doing it with even fewer shifts than at any point in his career, averaging only 16:59 of ice time. So maybe a less-is-more approach will work for Crosby, too.Patrick Kane, RW, Chicago BlackhawksMeanwhile, Chicago Blackhawks star winger Patrick Kane is also struggling to produce the points he’s accustomed to. The 37-year-old Kane is leading the woeful Blackhawks in points, with nine in 14 games. But Kane has scored only one goal thus far this year, and he’s a team-worst minus-15. That’s partly because he’s Chicago’s second-most-utilized forward at 18:35 of average ice time. Kane is on pace to produce 51 points in 84 games, and that would be a slight drop from the 57 points he had with the Detroit Red Wings last season. But he had 57 points in only 67 games last year, so in actuality, Kane’s production is taking a notable hit this season. Although he won’t fall completely off the radar as a point-producer, there’s no guarantee Kane will rediscover his ‘A’ game and dominate in the offensive zone the way he has since 2007.Claude Giroux, RW/C, Ottawa SenatorsSimilarly, 38-year-old Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux isn’t thriving on offense this year. He’s currently got two goals and eight points in 14 games – not terrible numbers, to be sure, but nowhere close to his peak seasons, when he was generating a point-per-game pace, as he last did in 2022-23. Stamkos currently has 15 points in 13 games this season, a pace that would give him 97 points in 84 games. The 36-year-old hasn’t produced offense at that level since 2021-22, when he had 106 points in 81 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning. While the 36-year-old Tavares is presently injured, he has been a point-per-game player, with seven points in as many games this year. Tavares’ consistency as a point-per-game player is remarkable, as he’s posted at or near that level since 2011-12.The bottom line is that NHL stars inevitably see their point production fall off a cliff at some point. But more than a few A-list players are ageless wonders and enjoy extended high-end play well into their late thirties. Some of it may be chalked up to puck luck. But there’s no question star players are determined to go out the way they want to go out. And betting against them could well be folly.For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.