If Sidney Crosby Started in Today's League...
What would Sidney Crosby's stats look like if he started today?
I'm sorry, but I just don't think he'd make it. I know many of you regard him and Ovechkin as HHOF locks, but the game has changed in the time he's been gone.
The Penguins are 7-3-1 since he left, so they clearly adapted to the New New New NHL. Sid had a good shot and skated okay in 2010, but this is 2011 now.
That 25 game point streak would be about 14 games long AT MOST. The 11 Pens games since he left have 48 total goals, or just under 4.5. Scoring by both the Pens and their opponents are WAY down from the 5.4 or so goals per game from fall/winter 2010.
I thought Sid was okay in his day, but the times have changed.
It's a different league. It's a new era. It's February.
...
What would Sidney Crosby's stats look like if he started today?
I'm sorry, but I just don't think he'd make it. I know many of you regard him and Ovechkin as HHOF locks, but the game has changed in the time he's been gone.
The Penguins are 7-3-1 since he left, so they clearly adapted to the New New New NHL. Sid had a good shot and skated okay in 2010, but this is 2011 now.
That 25 game point streak would be about 14 games long AT MOST. The 11 Pens games since he left have 48 total goals, or just under 4.5. Scoring by both the Pens and their opponents are WAY down from the 5.4 or so goals per game from fall/winter 2010.
I thought Sid was okay in his day, but the times have changed.
It's a different league. It's a new era. It's February.
...
RabbinsDuck
Registered User
I put Lemieux exactly where I have Gretzky - 150-180 pts in his prime. But he simply would not maintain his peak as long as Gretzky or remain healthy enough to match the total output of Gretzky.
Some things do not change throughout eras.
Some things do not change throughout eras.
RabbinsDuck
Registered User
What would Sidney Crosby's stats look like if he started today?
I'm sorry, but I just don't think he'd make it. I know many of you regard him and Ovechkin as HHOF locks, but the game has changed in the time he's been gone.
The Penguins are 7-3-1 since he left, so they clearly adapted to the New New New NHL. Sid had a good shot and skated okay in 2010, but this is 2011 now.
That 25 game point streak would be about 14 games long AT MOST. The 11 Pens games since he left have 48 total goals, or just under 4.5. Scoring by both the Pens and their opponents are WAY down from the 5.4 or so goals per game from fall/winter 2010.
I thought Sid was okay in his day, but the times have changed.
It's a different league. It's a new era. It's February.
...
Great post!
More than a little frightened at how close to the prevailing attitude it is.
Psycho Papa Joe
Porkchop Hoser
Probably the best player in the game putting up the highest PPG's. I'd imagine somewhere in the 1.7 to 2PPG range on a regular basis.
jcbio11
Registered User
lextune
I'm too old for this.
He would rip this league a new one.
Every change the game has gone through since his prime, big and small, has been in favor of his style.
No red line, no more obstruction, no more clutching and grabbing, the game favors the highly skilled more than ever before. He'd be the most unstoppable player we have ever seen.
Every change the game has gone through since his prime, big and small, has been in favor of his style.
No red line, no more obstruction, no more clutching and grabbing, the game favors the highly skilled more than ever before. He'd be the most unstoppable player we have ever seen.
BenchBrawl
Registered User
- Jul 26, 2010
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Poeple can say Gretzky , Orr or whoever couldn't dominate as much in this league ( something I STRONGLY disagree with ) but nobody can ever say that with Mario Lemieux.In this league Lemieux would be better than any player in history , everything that changed is in his favor.Players might be bigger , but there's not a lot of bigger players than Lemieux.
Uncle Rotter
Registered User
Weztex
Registered User
- Feb 6, 2006
- 3,113
- 3,701
Well in 2000-01, goaltenders equipment was as big, if not bigger than it is post-lockout. Still, Lemieux was scoring at a 67 goals pace...in the midst of the dead puck era...at age 35. That is downright scary.
CarlWinslow
@hiphopsicles
82 games... 15 goals, 28 assists.
He would be merely average. Wait, that's just what I've learned from these boards over the course of the last few days.
He would be merely average. Wait, that's just what I've learned from these boards over the course of the last few days.
pirate94
Registered User
- Mar 18, 2010
- 1,713
- 1
He'd be a third line checking forward because todays players are genetically modified
McGuillicuddy
Registered User
- Sep 6, 2005
- 1,296
- 198
The only debate here is exactly how thoroughly Lemieux would dominate, not whether or not it would happen. Lemieux put up big numbers in the height of the dead-puck/Garth Snow chest-pad era with failing health. In todays fast-flowing game, and especially if we give him his health in this fantasy scenario, Lemieux would be huge. I say a minimum of 160 or more points per season for several consecutive seasons.
BenchBrawl
Registered User
- Jul 26, 2010
- 30,880
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If he was 23-30 years old , he would easily win the scoring title by 50-70 points considering he would without a doubt score 160-180 points ( the average art ross winner is about 110pts ), and would destroy the league's second best powerplay performer ( which would invariably be on his team thanks to him ) Goalies equipment are not a factor with Lemieux , the guy is the best player the game ever saw when facing a goaltender with his flair & reach.He rarely missed.The guy was the best breakaway player ever , and sinceh e was also the best 1 on 1 player he was often in a breakaway ( not to mention the cherry picking , which is worth it with Lemieux , and would tremendously get better with no red line ) Lemieux also was big and strong and almost impossible to make him lose the puck so the average size ofthe NHL player don't matter.He's also the 2nd most gifted playmaker ever.Wuinning scoring title and making a point of his domination was also something that was deep in the character of the human.Everybody knows the guy was not a humble person and so what? He's entitled to think highly of himself if it make him won scoring title by ridiculous margin ( especially excluding Gretzky ).If Mario Lemieux was playing , despite what the young kids think , every night you would listen to the sport news and see him rack up 2 pts games every night and sometimes a big explosion of 4 ,5 ,6 points with a couple of disapointing 1 pts games.
KingGallagherXI
Registered User
- Jul 10, 2009
- 3,890
- 19
Lemieux would consistently win the Art Ross by a fair margin assuming 70 games played or more.
However there could be a case that Lemieux would have less "comparative advantage" today than in his time. In his day, his legendary physical attributes (strenght, skating "torque" etc.) gave him a huge advantage over physically average players, allowing him to skate through the entire opposite team and score DESPITE clutch and grab. He would essentially "pull" players who hooked him while barely slowing down. Many youtube videos are evidence of this.
Today, since clutching and grabbing are gone, his physical domination wouldn't be as valuable as in the pre-lockout era. He would still be dominant, but he would miss a significant "comparative advantage" over physically average players.
On the other hand, he would likely get less injuries today because of the decreased dirty play. And since there is no Gretzky right now, he would probably win more Art Ross trophies - maybe 8 to 10 or more.
However there could be a case that Lemieux would have less "comparative advantage" today than in his time. In his day, his legendary physical attributes (strenght, skating "torque" etc.) gave him a huge advantage over physically average players, allowing him to skate through the entire opposite team and score DESPITE clutch and grab. He would essentially "pull" players who hooked him while barely slowing down. Many youtube videos are evidence of this.
Today, since clutching and grabbing are gone, his physical domination wouldn't be as valuable as in the pre-lockout era. He would still be dominant, but he would miss a significant "comparative advantage" over physically average players.
On the other hand, he would likely get less injuries today because of the decreased dirty play. And since there is no Gretzky right now, he would probably win more Art Ross trophies - maybe 8 to 10 or more.
Poignant Discussion*
I tell it like it is
Complete fantasy, he would miss just as much time if not more than he did in the 80's-90's. The guy had the second best talent I have ever seen, he was also injury prone. His points per game would be somewhere around 1.6-2.1, but I doubt he would play more than 60 games most seasons
First of all paragraphs are your friend. I agree he would put up 2 points a game most nights, but with only 60 or so games played he wouldn't be running away with any scoring championships. If we are going to pretend that he would never get hurt, can we also pretend that Gretzky is 6 foot 4 and 225lbs?
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BenchBrawl
Registered User
- Jul 26, 2010
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of course he will get hurt , the example I gave was those couple of season he would play 75 games , but the seasons he would play 60 games he would still win the art ross easily over crosby , ovechkin , malkin , stamkos or the sedins.
edog37
Registered User
edog37
Registered User
given the way the game would favor him & his immense talent, I'd say he gets a minimum 220 points a year for several consecutive seasons. Especially if he plays with Crosby & Malkin.
lextune
I'm too old for this.
Why is that exactly?
Because of the giant backward strides medicine has taken in the last 20 years?
Huh?
As it is he had 6 seasons of 70+ games, and that was with players beating the living crap out of his body in a way that is simply not allowed now, and with 1980's medicine......
#66
Registered User
It would be interesting to say the least. Lemieux's slow down style against layered defenses and defenses that pressure the puck.
I think we would see a goal scorer like AO coupled with the big body and playmaking skills of Thornton.
The scary thing to think about is that in todays game he would almost be forced to work out. Making for almost more of a monster and maybe him missing less games.
The thing that people never post in these all time thread is the compete level of these players. They had a chip on their shoulder about being great so if Lemieux's one timer was stopped or Gretzky's cross the blue line negated they would find a different way to beat you.
I think we would see a goal scorer like AO coupled with the big body and playmaking skills of Thornton.
The scary thing to think about is that in todays game he would almost be forced to work out. Making for almost more of a monster and maybe him missing less games.
The thing that people never post in these all time thread is the compete level of these players. They had a chip on their shoulder about being great so if Lemieux's one timer was stopped or Gretzky's cross the blue line negated they would find a different way to beat you.
gifted88
Dante the poet
No doubt he would rip it up, but it's not like the changes in the game could help him stay healthy. That was unavoidable. 150 -160 points sounds like reasonable marks to hit in today's game.
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