Crosby Owns the Record. The Center Depth Chart Has Other Issues.

Sidney Crosby set the NHL record for assists with a single franchise on Saturday, adding another entry to a career that has redefined what sustained excellence at center looks like. The milestone belongs to Pittsburgh in a way few individual records do — every one of those assists came in a Penguins uniform, against Penguins opponents, in a Penguins building or on the road as a Penguin.

The timing is notable because the center position around him tells a different story. The depth chart shows Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as the top two centers, with Ben Kindel — recently activated off injured reserve after a medical emergency on the team plane — slotting third. All three are registering production figures well below league-median levels for the position, a gap that reflects either a slow start, a thin supporting cast, or both.

The record is real and worth marking. The production context around it is also real.