Is he now? He has been outplayed by Crosby in three of their four Cups runs...
People love to use numbers but if you ask players, former players, coaches and other experts, they would say Crosby and they have been saying Crosby. He is the last person they want to see in the playoffs. He is quietly having another great season.
Indeed Crosby might even creep back into the top 20 players this year (as opposed to last season).
In any other sport an injury riddled season and a missed playoffs would be considered a valley.
In hockey 37 points with a $9M cap hit is fancied a neutral event.
It's as if the guys who show up every night do so for nothing.
Everything you post is pure cringe.
Semantics. We're just looking at 2 different things.
You're looking at who was more useful that year im looking at who was the better player at that point in time. Obviously 22 games isn't the most useful and no one claims it is.
It's not semantics.
You think a guy can be the best player from the press box for 75% of the season.
I think the best player has to play hockey and be the best player to be called the best player.
The entire purpose of being a better player is to be more valuable to your team.
This desire to extricate those two is nothing more than to provide flexibility for homerism (when it suits).
Of course it's semantics, we're just looking at 2 different things.
Who is the best player in the world in 2018 according to you? I assume you'll say McDavid based on previous posts. Let's pretend you say McDavid even if you don't think so to make this analogy simple.
If he gets injured tomorrow morning and misses the rest of the year - isn't he still the best hockey player in the world? He won't have the best season obviously - but he doesn't "suck" because he gets injured. Maybe if MacKinnon scores 140 points by end of year you change your mind and decide he's the best - but assuming nothing crazy like that happens, McDavid remains the best.
But he won't have had the best season.
See? Semantics. We're looking at two different things.
Crosby can pretty easily be argued to be the best player in the world (co-best some years) from 2007 to 2017.
It’s not about being Gretzky or Lemieux, it’s more about consistency on that level. Crosby has consistently been an overall top 3 player through out a majority of his career. But a lot of those seasons falls under being 2nd or 3rd best. Some of those years he was clearly 2nd, he was injured a majority of his peak, yet since 2014, he hasn’t been THE best player in the world, but his new playoff success somehow pushed him back to tht status.To the bolded - it really depends what is being asked for. I know I personally have a pretty loose definition of the term best player in the world - and i'm fine with a cpl of guys sharing the top where it makes sense. If you're asking specifically for who had the best season/play in each year - than yes, Crosby falls off a lot.
Crosby isn't Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux where he was leaps and bounds over the competition each year. In fact he's almost the exact opposite - where he does barely just enough to squeak by and manage to maintain the title of best player in the world (or co-best), each year. His consistency helps - as he's never fallen off enough in play. The years where he didn't have the clear best season - he was usually very, very close to it, and often his playoffs outdid the guy who outdid him in the season so it's a tradeoff.
To me using that definition and criteria - Sidney Crosby best in the world since 2007 probably until this past year. Depending on how his current season or playoffs pan out - he could add this year to his streak (season is still early, and he's one among many dark horse candidates for a Ross/Hart run, so you never know).
What are you talking about? Malkin led the Pens in production 2/4 of those cup runs, including one of the best post seasons ever. He was one point behind Crosby in 2016(while injured). Crosby has never lead his team in production in any of their cup victories, the one he did was ‘08.Is he now? He has been outplayed by Crosby in three of their four Cups runs, in three of their SCFs, has a clearly higher PPG and two Smythes.
But if you are saying Malkin is the answer to the question, you are wrong.
Crosby has more points than any player since 2014 in both the RS and the playoffsIt’s not about being Gretzky or Lemieux, it’s more about consistency on that level. Crosby has consistently been an overall top 3 player through out a majority of his career. But a lot of those seasons falls under being 2nd or 3rd best. Some of those years he was clearly 2nd, he was injured a majority of his peak, yet since 2014, he hasn’t been THE best player in the world, but his new playoff success somehow pushed him back to tht status.
If anything, 2011, and 2013-2016 is more realistic considering how much back and forth went on between him, Malkin, and Ovechkin from 2006-2010, 2012. I don’t think many can honestly say Crosby was the best player in the world those first 7 years in general. 2007 was the only year.
Which is why I stated that going from 2013 and on was more realistic.Crosby has more points than any player since 2014 in both the RS and the playoffs
Vitale has only two points with Crosby. Is it really crazy achievement for you?Kunitz, Sheary, Vitale, and more into bonafide wingers with him. That’s honestly crazy.
The thing that amazes me about Crosby is his ability to make nobodies into somebodies. He turned Kunitz, Sheary, Vitale, and more into bonafide wingers with him. That’s honestly crazy.
i wanna know why its so hard to get him a winger
Weird how all we see is “X player had more points than Y” like that justifies who is better.
Vitale has only two points with Crosby. Is it really crazy achievement for you?
Kunitz had 1 60 point season previous to PIT. He’s not a 60 point player during that time you speak of. He got 60 points even 1 time and didn’t touch it again.Huh?
Kunitz was a 60 point player before he ever put on a Pens jersey.
Who is Vitale?