Across the NHL, some of hockey’s biggest names are closing in on major milestones that will cement their place among the all-time greats. From incredible goal-scorers to prolific playmakers, the 2025-26 season is loaded with NHL players nearing a notable benchmark.
Already this season, we’ve seen Leon Draisaitl and David Pastrnak join the 400-goal club. More recently, John Tavares scored his 500th career goal and Sidney Crosby became just the ninth player to record 1,700 points. Yet nobody has reached a bigger milestone this season than Alex Ovechkin, who became the first player in NHL history to reach the 900-goal plateau.
While Ovi and Sid have already reached their landmark moments, there are still a number of active NHL players closing in on historic numbers. Let’s take a look around the league and highlight some of the other names nearing major career milestones this season.
400-Goal Club
The league’s 400-goal club already got bigger this season, with Draisaitl and Pastrnak both reaching the mark. They’d better make some more room, because there are a few more players knocking on the door.
Jamie Benn entered the year with 399 career goals, needing just one more to reach 400. The Stars forward is dealing with a punctured lung and has yet to play this season, but he’s resumed skating and is expected to make his debut later this week.
Nathan MacKinnon is another big name closing in on an important number, with his career goal total currently sitting at 381. The Avalanche captain already has 14 goals this season and should have no trouble reaching the 400-goal milestone as long as he stays healthy.
NHL veterans Jeff Skinner and Jonathan Toews are also within range of the 400-goal club, but neither player may reach the milestone before the season is done. At the moment, Skinner and Toews are 23 and 25 goals short of the mark, respectively.
500-Goal Club
The 500-goal plateau is one of the NHL’s marquee milestones, with John Tavares recently becoming just the 49th player to ever reach this iconic benchmark. Scoring 500 goals in the NHL puts you in rare company. Perhaps more importantly, it makes you a near-lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Only one active player is remotely close to this significant accomplishment: Patrick Kane. With three tallies so far this season, Kane is now just five goals shy of 500 for his career. The one-time Blackhawks superstar has produced consistently since signing with Detroit in 2023 and could make history in the next few weeks.
600-Goal Club
It’s not every year that you have a player on the cusp of 600 career goals, but that’s the case this season with Predators forward Steven Stamkos. Things haven’t gone according to plan for Stamkos since signing with Nashville, but there’s no debating that the former Lightning captain is one of the premier NHL scorers of his generation.
Stamkos began this season with 582 goals and has lit the lamp four more times since then, leaving him just 14 goals short of the elusive 600-goal plateau. Even with his recent dip in production, Stamkos still managed 27 goals last year and should have no trouble reaching this career-defining moment before the season is up.
700-Assist Club
Playmakers may not always get the recognition and fanfare like goal-scorers, but racking up 700 assists in the NHL is no small feat. Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson is close to reaching this mark, thanks in large part to his strong skating and incredible vision.
Now 35 years old, Karlsson needs only 18 more assists to reach 700 for his career. With 40+ assists over his past two years in Pittsburgh, it’s only a matter of time until he hits the magic number.
1,000-Point Club
The 1,000-point plateau is another iconic benchmark in NHL history. Talent is one thing, but you also need consistency and perseverance to notch 1,000 points in the NHL.
We’ve already seen two players reach the mark this year, as Nikita Kucherov and Brad Marchand both crossed the threshold in the first month of the season. Next on the list will most likely be Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers star has 980 career points, putting him 20 shy of this major plateau.
It’s also worth noting that Phil Kessel, the NHL’s all-time ironman, is even closer to the milestone, needing just eight more points to reach 1,000 for his career. Having said that, Kessel is currently an unsigned free agent but has stated that he wants to sign with a team and play this season.
1,200-Point Club
We’ve already talked about Steven Stamkos chasing his 600th NHL goal, but he’s also closing in on an even bigger number with 1,200 career points. Fans today are constantly bombarded with stats and numbers, but don’t underestimate the significance of this accomplishment — only 52 players in NHL history have reached the 1,200-point plateau.
Currently sitting with 1,195 points over the course of his 18-year NHL career, Stamkos is only five points away from making history. This makes every Predators game must-see TV for the next few weeks.
1,300-Point Club
Finally, we have Anze Kopitar rapidly approaching 1,300 career points. This achievement will be made even more amazing by the fact that he’s played his entire career with one team, scoring all 1,288 points for Los Angeles.
The 20-year NHL veteran is showing no signs of slowing down, with 67 points last season and 10 points over his first 16 games this year. Already a Kings legend and just 12 points shy of yet another career milestone, Kopitar should soon become the 39th member of the league’s 1,300-point club.