Is Malkin the best player in the world?

[orby]

Malkin is not better than Crosby, but at his best he plays a more visually impressive game than Sid does. Crosby does many subtle things exceptionally well and is a better skater than Malkin, whereas Malkin is prone to bursts of brute physical dominance.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

if you're not on the ice you cant help your team. ppg malkin is .05 higher while playing against weaker players and having Crosby on the pp as well.

Ppg tells you the level that player is playing at. You could also just watch the games to see that Malkin is clearly better.

 

[eklunds source]

Seems like a good place to link to a previous response...

 

[yuri28]

As you guys know, I am I huge Crosby fan, but Malkin is still my favorite player. He has it all : a very nice shape, great hands, he's fast and he's a very likable person.

Malkin
548 GP
255 G
414 A
669 P
1.22 PPG

Crosby
577 GP
283 G
521 A
804 P
1.39 PPG

Obviously, Crosby has the better career so far but knowing that :

1) Crosby always had the better wingers (or most of the time at least)
2) Crosby average more ice time than Malkin
3) Malkin has over 1.35 PGG (don't know the exact number) when Crosby is out the lineup.

Can we assume that Malkin could possibly be the best player in the world if he played for a different team with decent wingers or can we already say that he's the best player in the world even though Crosby had better statistics so far?


Thank you.

My take on this is that their true respective level is better reflected by their career PPG in Play Offs rather than by their career PPG during regular season.
And their POs ppg are very close with Sid's being just a bit better.

 

[tony d]

I'll still take a healthy Crosby but Malkin's a great player as well.

 

[Rocket of Russia]

No one who has seen Stamkos at the top of his game would choose Malkin before him.

No one.

I see.

Laughably delusional

Stamkos has 17 points in 22 games in the playoffs.
Malkin has 111 points in 96 games in the playoffs and has been the most dominant player in the players of the last decade.

Thank you.

No one....?

[mod]

 

[Syrinx]

I've watched 95% of Pens games throughout their entire careers.

Crosby is a better player. He consistently plays at an elite level and works harder than anyone on the ice.

Malkin is much more fun to watch on the ice and off. When he's on he is absolutely amazing but he is not always on and can even get stupid on the ice. Off the ice he is hysterical.

 

[yuri28]

He went from .6 pts per game in Anaheim to .8 in Pittsburgh.

I'm sure that's a coincidence, though.

Well that's the same for Neal so.....

 

[yuri28]

I've watched 95% of Pens games throughout their entire careers.

Crosby is a better player. He consistently plays at an elite level and works harder than anyone on the ice.

Malkin is much more fun to watch on the ice and off. When he's on he is absolutely amazing but he is not always on and can even get stupid on the ice. Off the ice he is hysterical.

Like in the last 2 POs??
I love Sid but i hate people who make him look better than he truly is.
If he were that much better than Geno, his ppg during POs wouldn't be that close to Geno's for example.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I've always thought that he is the most dominant hockey player in this generation of hockey players. Crosby's more consistent because he has more of those intangible hockey qualities that allow him to still be such a good player even when he's not at his best offensively.

I don't like the phrasing of the question. Its still too arbitrary. What's the way to judge best? Is it most talented? Is it most consistent? Is it career stats and accomplishments? Is it a combination of all three? Everyone will have a different opinion of how to judge who's the best, but I think he's definitely the most dominant.

 

[Son Goku]

Crosby is better
Stamkos is better

lol no Stamkos isn't and has never proven he is even equal to Malkin.

 

[JFHockey]

I don't think he's even a clear cut #2 player in the league, there are quite a few guys you could argue are second best, based on various metrics.

 

[I am not exposed]

He went from .6 pts per game in Anaheim to .8 in Pittsburgh.

I'm sure that's a coincidence, though.

Yes, how strange that his point total went up with Crosby. But he was hardly a scrub before hand. And that was the point.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Crosby is better. Anyone who says Stamkos is better is out to lunch.

 

[MNRube]

When he is on his "A" game, Malkins extra gear is higher than anyone else's. Crosby is more consistent but Malkin can make NHL defenseman look puny and clueless. I haven't seen any other star who can so thoroughly dominate when they are in a groove.

 

[Deport Ogie]

If playing at his best, Malkin can dominate the game like no one else in the league right now can do. He's played in games where you can feel a buzz in the arena every time he touches a puck no matter where he is on the ice or the situation of the game at that time. It's not unlike the way fans used to react to Mario.

That being said, that is only when he is at his best. Crosby is more consistent and probably more balanced, which makes him a better player in most regards.

 

[shizno*]

Was Malkins BEST better than Sids BEST right before the concussion? pretty sure Sid was on a pace that hasn't been seen since the greatest player of all time, Lemieux.

 

[I am not exposed]

Crosby is better. Anyone who says Stamkos is better is out to lunch.

So true.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

No, but he's still really good.

 

[Lebowski]

Was Malkins BEST better than Sids BEST right before the concussion? pretty sure Sid was on a pace that hasn't been seen since the greatest player of all time, Lemieux.

That's usually what happens when people start talking about either player at his "best". They use a couple of isolated events to define Malkin's best and compare it to the usual Crosby. Even though Sid is insanely consistent, there were clearly times he dominated far more than others. His concussion shortened season was absolutely insane, not just in terms of points.

 

[Frosty415]

Was Malkins BEST better than Sids BEST right before the concussion? pretty sure Sid was on a pace that hasn't been seen since the greatest player of all time, Lemieux.

Jagr.

Crosby ain't on lemieux level, never will.

 

[penguins2946*]

Malkin is viciously underrated on HF. Someone yesterday tried to say that the Pens would have to add to Malkin to get McDavid. It's ridiculous. He's still the 2nd best player in the league, and he has outplayed Crosby this year with drastically worse linemates.

 

[beowulf]

Love Malkin but Crosby is still better.

 

[Hazu*]

Malkin is viciously underrated on HF. Someone yesterday tried to say that the Pens would have to add to Malkin to get McDavid. It's ridiculous. He's still the 2nd best player in the league, and he has outplayed Crosby this year with drastically worse linemates.

What pisses me off is that he's even more underrated by the medias. I always feel like some "hockey experts" thing he's a second line center or just a "good player".

 

[I am not exposed]

What pisses me off is that he's even more underrated by the medias. I always feel like some "hockey experts" thing he's a second line center or just a "good player".

It is absurd. There is definite bias against him because he's not a good Ol Canadian boy.