What is Malkin missing from being the best player of his generation?

[LamorielloAndSon]

Consistency

 

[GreatGonzo]

Crosby--Ovechkin--Malkin
*not including this season

Hart: 2--3--1
Finalist: 6--5--3
Top 10: 8--8--4
Lindsay: 3--3--1
Smythe: 2--1--1
Calder: 0--1--1
Ross: 2--1--2
Top 10 pts: 10--8--4
PPG leader: 5--3--1
Top 10 PPG: 11--8--9
Rocket: 2--7--0
Top 10 goals: 4--11--3
GPG leader: 2--8--0
Top 10 GPG: 4--11--5
AST (1st+2nd): 7--10--3
Awards: 11--16--6

Pretty obvious what he's missing, he just wasn't good enough.

No, it’s injuries. Very simple. Why many continue on about how not good enough he is, is beyond me. He was good enough to our score Crosby twice when both were healthy, good enough to out score Crosby 2/3 of their cup runs....good enough to have most likely the most dominant regular season and the most dominant playoff run post lock out......weird.

Malkin has only played 70 or more games 5 times in his career. Within those 5 times, he has 2 scoring titles, a Hart, Lindsay, and finishes top ten in goals 3 times, assists 4 times(leading once), and points 4(all 4 within the top 5).

Injuries and consistency go hand in hand with him

 

[PromisedLand]

A Canadian birth certificate

ummm.... Cherry is one of the biggest Canadian Homers that ever existed; and even he did not like leaving Malkin out of the top 100 list NHLers

 

[KareemTrustfund]

His 08-09 and 11-12 i would put up against the best of both Crosby/Ovechkin. He doesn't have their consistency though and is more injury prone.

Malkin doesn't have the consistency of Ovechkin? Am I reading this right??

 

[ottawa]

ummm.... Cherry is one of the biggest Canadian Homers that ever existed; and even he did not like leaving Malkin out of the top 100 list NHLers

Yeah, he said he should have at least been 99

 

[Turin]

Malkin had 28 points in ‘17 but his finals olt hurt his chances at another Smythe, and was one point behind Crosby in ‘16 while playing injured. In the end both contributed to their teams success.

Also, I’m sorry but that excuse has never made sense to me. Crosby gets a pass for not producing in the finals because he couldn’t handle the tougher match ups? Point is Crosby and Malkin needed eachother to win 3 cups. Both were just as valuable. But as individuals, it’s close.

Pass? Excuse? You’re forcing a narrative to my post that isn’t there. Malkin deserves much praise for being the 2nd best playoff performer and overall center of his generation.

 

[uncleben]

Spotlight

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

Being born in Canada and in a town like Elbow.

 

[GreatGonzo]

Pass? Excuse? You’re forcing a narrative to my post that isn’t there. Malkin deserves much praise for being the 2nd best playoff performer and overall center of his generation.

If it was anybody else but Crosby, then his ‘09 finals would be a much bigger deal. People still like to give credit to Crosby for Malkins play that series. That’s what I’m referring to.

I don’t understand, I never said otherwise....

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

Inspired by illpucks thread on Kane where it is consensus that Kane will never be the best of his generation. However Malkin is interesting because he is on the level of Crosby and OV and is part of the "Big 3" because, he has the accolades, the skill, the performances of 87/8, the most dominant playoff run in recent memory, and many can make the argument that at his best, he is better than 87/8.

The sad thing about Malkin's career is that it has been hampered by injuries, so there aren't more "dominant" seasons that stand out like Crosby and OV, however he did just score 98 points last season, playing at an MVP level, and would have topped 100 points had he played all 82 games.

With that being said, what is missing for Malkin to make him #1 of the Big 3?

Fair or not, he’s been the second best player on his team for his entire career. That’s why.

 

[Maestro84]

Geno’s sadly had quite a bit of seasons cut short by unfortunate injuries and as a result, his career accolades aren’t as loaded as Crosby and Ovechkin’s are. Regardless, Ovi and Sid aren’t THAT much ahead of Geno even on the all time list and if we’re talking peak abilities then peak Malkin >>> peak Ovi and Sid imo

 

[Frenchy]

he's not missing much to be honest , maybe changing his number to 87

 

[Habs10025]

Inspired by illpucks thread on Kane where it is consensus that Kane will never be the best of his generation. However Malkin is interesting because he is on the level of Crosby and OV and is part of the "Big 3" because, he has the accolades, the skill, the performances of 87/8, the most dominant playoff run in recent memory, and many can make the argument that at his best, he is better than 87/8.

The sad thing about Malkin's career is that it has been hampered by injuries, so there aren't more "dominant" seasons that stand out like Crosby and OV, however he did just score 98 points last season, playing at an MVP level, and would have topped 100 points had he played all 82 games.

With that being said, what is missing for Malkin to make him #1 of the Big 3?

There's nothing he can do . Malkin is this generations Yzerman

 

[illpucks]

Can't stay healthy. Impossible for him to play 82 games.

 

[SEALBound]

He's a VERY comfortable #3 of this generation.

Crosby
Ovechkin
Malkin

When it really comes down it...that's the order. We all know it. A couple here and there poke their heads in, but really...this is the list.

Malkin hasn't done enough to be better than either Sid or Ovi. But he's done PLENTY to be better than everyone else not named Crosby or Ovechkin.

Sad though because he probably the most pure, natural skilled of the three.

 

[Steazy Doo]

Malkin doesn't have the consistency of Ovechkin? Am I reading this right??

Yes

 

[Nadal On Clay]

Yes

Malkin don’t have 3 under PPG full seasons under his belt in his career. In fact, he didn’t had 1.

 

[Nsjohnson]

When fully healthy, and not fighting lingering pains and rehabs, he was as good as Crosby or Ovechkin, maybe even better.

He's played almost 100 less games as Sid and over 200(!) less games than Ovechkin.

You have to remember also that in those games he has played, how many did Malkin play hurt, partially hurt, not fully healthy, not 100%, lingering pain, etc. Yes, many players deal with stuff on and off throughout the season, but what Malkin has experienced as far as injuries go, he's had a lot of them, and they were bad enough to keep him out, which means the severity of them was great, and in which case the severity of rehabbing them back to full or as best to health as he can was arduous and long.

How many of his games has he played where he felt GREAT? Both physically as well as psychologically, especially after coming back from injury?

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Malkin don’t have 3 under PPG full seasons under his belt in his career. In fact, he didn’t had 1.

It's easy to keep up the PPG when you miss games every season.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

No, it’s injuries. Very simple. Why many continue on about how not good enough he is, is beyond me. He was good enough to our score Crosby twice when both were healthy, good enough to out score Crosby 2/3 of their cup runs....good enough to have most likely the most dominant regular season and the most dominant playoff run post lock out......weird.

Malkin has only played 70 or more games 5 times in his career. Within those 5 times, he has 2 scoring titles, a Hart, Lindsay, and finishes top ten in goals 3 times, assists 4 times(leading once), and points 4(all 4 within the top 5).

Injuries and consistency go hand in hand with him

He wasn't good enough. Malkin has had his healthy seasons, what happened in those 5 seasons? 3 of them OV was clearly better, 1x Malkin was clearly better, 1x Malkin was slightly better. Crosby has 5 PPG wins, OV has 3, Malkin only has 1. That has nothing to do with injuries, plain and simple he wasn't good enough.

 

[Video Nasty]

I’d say it’s about a 50/50 mix between injuries always seeming to halt him in his tracks when he really gets going and also having Crosby to fall back on. He’s always played his best hockey whenever Crosby was out or slumping.

 

[Jugitsu]

Malkin's last full 82 game regular season is from decade ago. And he only has 2 of those. Might have something do with that. Raw talent wise, I think he is the best player of his generation. Unfortunately for him, staying healthy to use that raw talent is equally important in this conversation.

 

[Madifer]

The biggest myth about Malkin in this forum is people claiming he’s been inconsistent. Injuries and inconsistencies are two different things.

take a look at this season. Stellar start followed by months of being way below his average form. So no

 

[Dale Gribble]

Being the #1 guy on a team. Malkin, when he has to, has taken the Penguins on his shoulders - all one has to do is look at what he does each time Crosby was injured. Personally, I think Malkin is just as good as Crosby, but with Crosby around, he doesn't feel he has to carry the team.

 

[Alex K]

By the pure talent he's comparable to Ovi and Sid, maybe even better. But if we compare their careers, Ovechkin and Crosby are the faces of this generation. With Ovi being argubly the greatest goal-scorer of all time and Sid being one of the greatest competitors in NHL history it's hard to put Geno on the same line.