Crap..lost my intital point (see above).
Re:the Gretzky comparison
I did not see the Canada-Russia Jr. final (I'm sure it was in Eastern Can). I was fortunate enough to see some of the 1981 Canada Cup. I was only 11 years old at this time, and I pulled myself at halftime in my atom football game as I "had" to go see the round robin games of Finland/Sweden and Canada/Russia. Coolest jerseys (the old Canada Cup style). Needless to say, I never missed a practice in my life after that...
Anyhow, Canada got their *** kicked in that game, and obviously did again in the final. That goes to show really what the Canada/Russia level was at that time. The russians were VERY good. If one wishes to look at the talent, look at what started coming to the NHL not too long after that.
I understand the need for comparison to justify worth in a player, and believe me, I have been proven wrong by the pundits. One only has to look at Crosby, Ovechkin, and in another venue, Labron James (however much I hate basketball). I never said they would fail, but just waited for them to succeed.
As for Malkin, let watch and enjoy...