On Wednesday night, Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos reached a rare NHL feat, recording career goal No. 500 against the Vancouver Canucks.
Stamkos joins an elite and exclusive group, but the rare feat may become even more so in the future.
When looking at the active leaders in goals, only a handful of active players remain within striking distance of the milestone after Stamkos. The closest and most realistic options are Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins (444) and the Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane (430).
Malkin is 36 years old, so reaching 500 goals is no sure thing, especially since the 17-year vet hasn’t played an entire 82-game season since the 2008-2009 season. Meanwhile, at 33 years of age, Kane is more than likely the safest bet. Averaging 31 goals a season over his career, Kane could easily reach the milestone if he plays a few more consistent seasons.
Aside from Malkin and Kane, Toronto Maple Leafs’ captain John Tavares might have the next best shot. Though with 411 goals, Tavares is still nearly 100 goals away from 500. And injuries have been a concern for the 32-year-old in the past, further clouding his prospects.
After a group of veterans, predicting who will surpass the 500-goal mark next is only guesswork.
The NHL’s scoring is up this season, with the league average at 3.17 entering Wednesday’s action. If goal scoring continues to rise upward, today’s budding superstars like Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews (281), Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid (277), and Leon Draisaitl (280) have more than a decent chance, but with still a long way to go.
Stamkos becomes only the 47th player in NHL history to score 500 goals. He’s the third active player to achieve the mark, joining future Hall of Famers Alex Ovechkin (810) and Sidney Crosby (538).
According to Sportsnet Stats, Stamkos is the tenth former No. 1 overall pick to top 500 goals and only the 19th player to do it in less than 1,000 games, per the Lightnings’ Andrew Weiss.
