The 25 Best Forward Seasons Since 2005 (Poll Series Results And Discussion)
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Nathaniel Skywalker
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- Oct 18, 2013
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I still think its a crime that Crosby 2007 is #7 over e.g. Jagr 2006 or even Crosby 2014:
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How is this even close?
Primary Points: 101-85 Jagr
Goals: 54-36 Jagr
Points: 123-120 Jagr
EV Points: 71-59 Jagr
Just to put that last one in perspective: There are 68 post lockout player seasons with more EV points: NHL.com Stats . On the other hand, Jagr's 2006 still looks decent by this metric. That season comes in 14th overall there.
Remember that Crosby's 2007 was during the insane (and very short) post-lockout era where PPs were at almost 6 a game, and so his PPP in this season was of course, very high. That's not really necessarily reflective of great ability, just that he got tons of chances on the PP. He did score more power play points in that season than anyone has since the lockout, BUT his power play scoring rate is actually not all that impressive:
NHL.com Stats
For those too lazy to look at the link, that seasons ranks only 34th in PP scoring rate since the lockout.
One way to sort of control for the crazy PP rate in that season is to look for people who had higher scoring rates, and similar amounts of ev points.
Daniel Sedin's 2010-11 is CLEARLY better than Crosby's 2007 by this metric as he actually has a HIGHER PP scoring rate of 8.51 while ALSO having a higher amount of EVP (62) as well as more goals, and more primary points. There are a bunch of other seasons that you can find by looking at that list that have higher PP scoring rates and higher amounts of even strength points. I'm not sure how you can make an argument for Crosby's seasons given that fact.
| Jagr | 54 | 47 | 22 |
| Crosby | 36 | 49 | 35 |
How is this even close?
Primary Points: 101-85 Jagr
Goals: 54-36 Jagr
Points: 123-120 Jagr
EV Points: 71-59 Jagr
Just to put that last one in perspective: There are 68 post lockout player seasons with more EV points: NHL.com Stats . On the other hand, Jagr's 2006 still looks decent by this metric. That season comes in 14th overall there.
Remember that Crosby's 2007 was during the insane (and very short) post-lockout era where PPs were at almost 6 a game, and so his PPP in this season was of course, very high. That's not really necessarily reflective of great ability, just that he got tons of chances on the PP. He did score more power play points in that season than anyone has since the lockout, BUT his power play scoring rate is actually not all that impressive:
NHL.com Stats
For those too lazy to look at the link, that seasons ranks only 34th in PP scoring rate since the lockout.
One way to sort of control for the crazy PP rate in that season is to look for people who had higher scoring rates, and similar amounts of ev points.
Daniel Sedin's 2010-11 is CLEARLY better than Crosby's 2007 by this metric as he actually has a HIGHER PP scoring rate of 8.51 while ALSO having a higher amount of EVP (62) as well as more goals, and more primary points. There are a bunch of other seasons that you can find by looking at that list that have higher PP scoring rates and higher amounts of even strength points. I'm not sure how you can make an argument for Crosby's seasons given that fact.
Can someone advance an argument for why Crosby's 2007 should be considered better than D. Sedin 2011?
Sedin's 2011 has MORE EV points than Crosby 2007 AND a higher PP scoring rate.
Literally the only reason to prefer Crosby's 2007 is the higher point total, but its fairly obvious that that mostly happened because of the crazy PP rate.
Sedin's 2011 has MORE EV points than Crosby 2007 AND a higher PP scoring rate.
Literally the only reason to prefer Crosby's 2007 is the higher point total, but its fairly obvious that that mostly happened because of the crazy PP rate.
Video Nasty
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What’s the excuse for Thornton’s 92 assist 114 point season not being on there?
It made it back to back 90+ assist seasons for him, something only Gretzky and Lemieux had done before him and of course no one since.
It made it back to back 90+ assist seasons for him, something only Gretzky and Lemieux had done before him and of course no one since.
Hockey Outsider
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Thanks for putting this together.
Impressive result for Ovechkin - three of the top five seasons.
As I mentioned before - the results definitely seem to be skewed to the first few years after the lockout. 11 of the top 15 seasons are from the first five years after the lockout (fourteen years were eligible).
Three Hart trophy winners didn't make the list - Perry 2011, Ovechkin 2013, and Hall 2018. (Neither did Ovechkin 2015 - the highest ranked forward in Hart voting that year).
The lowest ranked player in Hart voting to make the list? I believe that's Datsyuk 2008 - 9th in Hart voting.
McDavid did worse than I thought. Half the board proclaims him a generational talent, but he didn't have a single year better than the Sedins or Stamkos?
The only season with no representatives - 2015 (Price won the Hart, and this was the first non-lockout year since the sixties where the Art Ross winner didn't have at least 90 points).
Impressive result for Ovechkin - three of the top five seasons.
As I mentioned before - the results definitely seem to be skewed to the first few years after the lockout. 11 of the top 15 seasons are from the first five years after the lockout (fourteen years were eligible).
Three Hart trophy winners didn't make the list - Perry 2011, Ovechkin 2013, and Hall 2018. (Neither did Ovechkin 2015 - the highest ranked forward in Hart voting that year).
The lowest ranked player in Hart voting to make the list? I believe that's Datsyuk 2008 - 9th in Hart voting.
McDavid did worse than I thought. Half the board proclaims him a generational talent, but he didn't have a single year better than the Sedins or Stamkos?
The only season with no representatives - 2015 (Price won the Hart, and this was the first non-lockout year since the sixties where the Art Ross winner didn't have at least 90 points).
JT Kreider
FIRE GORDIE CLARK
JT Kreider
FIRE GORDIE CLARK
Jagr was voted ahead (and deservedly so) of Thornton but didn't win the Hart in 06 too
KoozNetsOff 92
Hala Madrid
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Crosby has a bunch of garbage finishes at the bottom. He was a complete after thought in regards to the very best seasons.
KoozNetsOff 92
Hala Madrid
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Obviously with a list like this there will never be consensus, but it looks pretty good overall. 2 things though: Crosby 07 was definitely not better than Crosby 14 or Jagr 06. Also Datsyuk 09 (and Malkin 09) was clearly better than Datsyuk 08, no idea what the logic was behind that one.
Nathaniel Skywalker
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Two in the top 10 =complete garbage? Anyways makes sense for Crosby to have the most seasons not surprised he is the best of his generation.
Sure it does.
It is also makes sense that the actual best player of his generation has THREE seasons in the top ten of this list, and they all rank higher than the other guy. 
p.s. 2013 Ovechkin was better than the guy who played 36 games, so the list is a bit factually inaccurate.
Nathaniel Skywalker
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Whatever helps you sleep at night. Ahhh another list Sid dominatesSure it does.
p.s. 2013 Ovechkin was better than the guy who played 36 games, so the list is a bit factually inaccurate.
Plural
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Thanks for putting this together OP, this was a really fun list of polls.
Sucks that participation in the polls was so low, especially during the last few polls. I will say I found voting very difficult towards the bottom. It's much easier to rank the top few seasons, since they are seasons everyone is familiar with and probably already has an opinion of how they compare. But near the end I found some of the comparisons a lot more difficult to make
Sucks that participation in the polls was so low, especially during the last few polls. I will say I found voting very difficult towards the bottom. It's much easier to rank the top few seasons, since they are seasons everyone is familiar with and probably already has an opinion of how they compare. But near the end I found some of the comparisons a lot more difficult to make
Sure it does.
p.s. 2013 Ovechkin was better than the guy who played 36 games, so the list is a bit factually inaccurate.
Crosby was better in 2013. I wasn't sure how to vote for that one though. I'm very glad OP purposefully didn't include any other partial seasons (like Crosby 2011) so as not to complicate things, as this should be about mostly full seasons. In terms of "level of play" - Crosby 2013 might break the top 3 in this poll, certainly top 5 imo. The problem for me is less about the 25% of season missed (since despite that, his totals are very respectable) than it is the lockout season being 48 games instead of 82. Wasn't sure how to consider that. I think 20th slot is fine
43sfriends
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You do realize the list is in a particular order right?
KoozNetsOff 92
Hala Madrid
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Sure it does.
p.s. 2013 Ovechkin was better than the guy who played 36 games, so the list is a bit factually inaccurate.
Fixed that for you =)
JasonRoseEh
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- Oct 23, 2018
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Ovechkin with 3 in the top 5 is impressive, player of the generation.
TheGuiminator
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Now do one for playoffs and let’s see how many times OV is in the top 5
Do one for Crosby for the playoffs without Malkin playing on the Penguins. Oh wait.....
TheGuiminator
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Not at all. Crosby is a great great player, but people who simply want to site the Capitals playoff record and blame Ovechkin without acknowledging that Crosby gets to play every playoff with a top three player of the last 15 seasons are being disingenuous.
Backstrom is good, Kuznetsov is good, Carlson is good, they are not Malkin level. Heck Malkin often outplays Crosby come playoff time.
Heck it took Kuznetsov playing at Smythe level for the Capitals to finally win it all.
