Is Crosby still a top 5 player?

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Easily lol.

 

[mrv52]

crosby has been playing amazing since he came back from his injury. He's easily #2 and even #1 on some nights with how hes playing.

Thanks Sid's sister.

 

[mrv52]

This guestion is very valid. NHL players retain up to 90% of their peak scoring touch up to 29, but after that the decline is very steep.

At 31, it's only 80% and at 33 only 70%. Crosby is clearly in the age of steep scoring decline and it is of no surprise that he's not among the league leaders in points per game anymore. It's likely that he never gets there again for an extended period of time.

Love to see Ovechkins graph. Make sure you take into account he is 2 years older

 

[Fataldogg]

Not for the last two seasons. He is still a top-10 players. But I think with the rise of new high end talent, and Crosby aging, his days being a perrenial top-3 player is over.

 

[kugelbahn]

Yeah, still top 5, thanks to Philadelphia, 9 points in 4 games and 15 points in 6 playoffs games last season

 

[discobob]

1) Points, while important, are not the end all measure of offensive play
2) 30 games is way too quick to raise or lower a player like Crosby
3) The Pens team is in a major funk
4) Crosby usually performs better in the second half of the season

I'm not in the "three year grace period" camp like daver, but slow down people.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Over the course of a full regular season, he's somewhere 3-5 for me. If I have to win an important game tomorrow, he's still my first pick.

 

[Captain Bowie]

If I'm picking one player on my team for a 7 game playoff series, I might still be taking Crosby number 1. If the question is for a full season plus playoffs, he's certainly still top 5.

 

[Regal]

1) Points, while important, are not the end all measure of offensive play
2) 30 games is way too quick to raise or lower a player like Crosby
3) The Pens team is in a major funk
4) Crosby usually performs better in the second half of the season

I'm not in the "three year grace period" camp like daver, but slow down people.

Yea, I understand with a lesser year last year and his PPG this year it's a question people are going to discuss, but he's played well last year and a lot can change in the next 2/3rds of a season. The difference between Crosby at 23rd in PPG and 7th is 4 points