As a Penguin fan I love Sid. But he is not Lemieux. What I mean by that is you could throw Mario out there today at 50+ years old and be would still get points each night. Sid doesn’t have that kind of game. He is a grinder, a speed guy, and a deflector. All of those things you can’t do when you are older. Sid will lose speed when he gets older. His body will not be able to grind on the walls like he does now. Once he starts to decline it will be a big decline. The Penguins will do right by him and keep him as long as he wants to stay but I can see him calling it quits once the decline starts.
He also has incredible hockey sense and passing, which are skills that won't diminish much. And who's to say his other skills will be declining soon?
I think some people in this thread underestimate how long an elite player can remain effective, if they're dedicated enough. Look at Jagr, Thornton, St. Louis, Sakic, Alfredsson, Selanne...
A few noteworthy seasons by older guys since the 2005 lockout:
- Alfredsson scored 103 points at age 34
- Jagr scored 123 points at age 34
- St. Louis scored 94 points at age 34
- Alfredsson scored 87 points at age 35
- St. Louis scored 99 points at age 35
- Selanne scored 94 points at age 36
- Alfredsson scored 89 points at age 36
- Thornton scored 82 points at age 36
- Sakic scored 87 points at age 36
- Sakic scored 100 points at age 37
- Selanne scored 80 points at age 40
- Jagr scored 66 points at age 44
Crosby's still only 31. I think he has another 100 point season in him, and probably several more seasons of 80+. The only real question mark is health and injury risk, not ability or dedication.
I doubt he gets to 2000 (unless he stays remarkably healthy), but I expect him to get to 1700+. He's at 1150 and he's got a lot more hockey still to play.