Realistically, could Malkin have led a team to a Cup w/o Crosby?

[kladorf2005]

You seem to love starting these threads. Why not ask if ovechkin would have won a cup without holtby?

Dumb thread.

 

[talitintti]

Players don't win Cups

 

[shtorm2005]

 

[typicalsavage]

I mean a lot of those Rangers teams from 2012-2016 couldve pulled it off with him. The one thing they lacked was a 1c. No matter how much Ranger fans tried to push it, Stepan, Richards, Brassard were never 1st line centres.

 

[Pens x]

As long as Ray Shero wasn’t the gm then yea

 

[M.C.G. 31]

2014 Rangers or 2014 Habs probably win the Cup with Malkin on those teams, so yes.

Plus, 2009.

 

[JamieG19]

Well, unfortunately we will never know because Malkin just lacked that inner drive to be the best. It's really a shame he was happy to be Sidney Crosby's sidekick rather than driving his own team.

Would Messier have the reputation he has if he had been content playing his entire career as Gretzky's sidekick? Of course not.

Imagine what Malkin's reputation would have been like if he had went to a team like St. Louis after 2009 and led them to a Cup?

Malkin just lacks that inner drive to be known as the best and that's all on him. Instead of potentially being known as one of the All Time Greatest players in NHL history, all he will be remembered as was a very good player on Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh teams.

 

[Psyfer]

Well, unfortunately we will never know because Malkin just lacked that inner drive to be the best. .

What?

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Well, unfortunately we will never know because Malkin just lacked that inner drive to be the best. It's really a shame he was happy to be Sidney Crosby's sidekick rather than driving his own team.

Would Messier have the reputation he has if he had been content playing his entire career as Gretzky's sidekick? Of course not.

Imagine what Malkin's reputation would have been like if he had went to a team like St. Louis after 2009 and led them to a Cup?

Malkin just lacks that inner drive to be known as the best and that's all on him. Instead of potentially being known as one of the All Time Greatest players in NHL history, all he will be remembered as was a very good player on Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh teams.

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

Absolutely, and the reverse scenario produces a similar answer.

 

[Ducks in a row]

Depending on the team sure. It's all about the team.

 

[Goose]

Who replaces the hole he leaves on the Pens? Or he has to play himself still on the Pens while on his new team?

Does Toews leave Chicago at the same time to go to another team to prove whether or not he has intangibles?

If Matthews grows up in Toronto but is drafted by Arizona does he still score four goals in his first game?

If McDonald's purchases the Seattle franchise and trades for McDavid and then names a new burger after him, does the Hamburgler still get incarcerated for burger theft?

This thread has helped me think of important questions too.

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

Players don't win Cups

so who does? the fans in the stands cheering them on? if yes why isn't my name on the cup dammit??

 

[heysmilinstrange]

Well, unfortunately we will never know because Malkin just lacked that inner drive to be the best. It's really a shame he was happy to be Sidney Crosby's sidekick rather than driving his own team.

Would Messier have the reputation he has if he had been content playing his entire career as Gretzky's sidekick? Of course not.

Imagine what Malkin's reputation would have been like if he had went to a team like St. Louis after 2009 and led them to a Cup?

Malkin just lacks that inner drive to be known as the best and that's all on him. Instead of potentially being known as one of the All Time Greatest players in NHL history, all he will be remembered as was a very good player on Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh teams.

Tell that to the countless people who think he's better than Crosby.

 

[PAZ]

Well, unfortunately we will never know because Malkin just lacked that inner drive to be the best. It's really a shame he was happy to be Sidney Crosby's sidekick rather than driving his own team.

Would Messier have the reputation he has if he had been content playing his entire career as Gretzky's sidekick? Of course not.

Imagine what Malkin's reputation would have been like if he had went to a team like St. Louis after 2009 and led them to a Cup?

Malkin just lacks that inner drive to be known as the best and that's all on him. Instead of potentially being known as one of the All Time Greatest players in NHL history, all he will be remembered as was a very good player on Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh teams.

I'm sure he's feeling very sorry for himself, crying himself to sleep each night due to his lack of drive. He's most likely comforting himself with 3 Stanley Cup rings along with a trophy cabinet consisting of a Calder, 2x Art Ross, Conn Smythe, Hart, and Lindsay.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

You need a top-100 player to win a Stanley Cup, and well...

 

[PunkRockLocke]

Impossible question to answer given the near infinite number of circumstances, but if you remove Crosby from the three Penguins Cup winning rosters this century as they were, I believe they would not have won any.

 

[Ainec]

ppl really think 2009 pens could have beat the red wings without crosby?? wtf

detroit could have won the series

 

[Ducks in a row]

ppl really think 2009 pens could have beat the red wings without crosby?? wtf

detroit could have won the series

I wonder if they would of even made the finals without Crosby.

 

[Ainec]

Malkin without Crosby on the Pens would be cupless and vice versa

just like Ovechkin would be without one if Kuznetsov had not developed

Kings with Kopitar/Doughty/Quick

Hawks with half the league on ELCs/Keiths contract

 

[Khomutov]

I wonder if they would of even made the finals without Crosby.

Without Crosby the Caps would beat the Pens in 2009.

 

[Fredrik_71]

Yes. Edmonton won their last SC without Gretzky so why not.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

I see people mentioning 14 NYR. Sure if we just drop Malkin on that team they'd probably win. But they would have had to gut themselves to get him so it's not that simple.

But yes a team can definitely win with Malkin as the main guy, assuming he is surrounded by a quality team.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

Yes, of course.

But like others have said, it's not about individual players. You could put Malkin on an awful team and he's probably not winning the cup. But then again you could put a 4th liner on a cup contending team and he could win a cup.

 

[daver]

Thank goodness you qualified the OP with "realistically". It could have gotten offtrack otherwise.