Who is the best peak player since 2000?

[Midnight Judges]

You keep saying this, when it's just plain false. Hockey is the sport where missed games are punished the most, since total goals and points have always been the most highly regarded stats. Averages are used far more frequently in basketball and baseball

Maybe I am skewed by certain fan bases who always talk about PPG.

I don't know that raw goals and points are the most highly regarded - if they were, how is Bobby Orr rated so high? How is Lemieux so often put ahead of Howe?

Seems to me football is where injuries are punished the most. Raw totals are everything. Nobody looks at touchdowns per game and rarely yards per game except on the team level.

Crosby's peak isn't an imaginary scenario though. He actually played those games and people watched him dominate. It has nothing to do with woulda, coulda, shoulda. That's only about putting his play in context because we're used to looking at 82 game samples. Regular season totals are great accomplishments, but they're not the goal either. The cup is, and the player with the highest "ability" is generally going to give you the best chance to win there.

...if he's available to play, yes.

And you're right Crosby really did achieve a very high level of peak play. It just wasn't continuous - and that's a big drawback.

I just think people underrate the difficulty and value of sustaining that level in consecutive games. I also think it's obvious that sustaining roughly that level of play for three seasons of consecutive (ish) games is far more difficult to achieve and helpful to the team than 41 games on, 41 games off, 22 games on, 60 games off, 36 games on, 12 games off while missing an entire playoffs.

 

[Ben White]

Comparing across eras has nothing to do with this thread. And no, I don't agree that the point is to determine ability. The purpose of comparing across eras is to determine relative achievements.

Ability is useless if a person doesn't achieve. Ability is not the objective.

I think the best player is the one who contributed the most, on the ice, to their team.

You think the best player is the one who woulda coulda shoulda if X, Y, and Z hadn't happened.

It is a case of me preferring reality and actual history vs you preferring imaginary scenarios.

If you’re not interested in examining the stats, the eye test etc. to find out who was actually the best player in terms of ability, this discussion is meaningless. Anyone can add goals, assists and games which in your book = contribution. So we can just end the discussion I guess.

 

[Midnight Judges]

If you’re not interested in examining the stats, the eye test etc. to find out who was actually the best player in terms of ability, this discussion is meaningless. Anyone can add goals, assists and games which in your book = contribution. So we can just end the discussion I guess.

No, I think those things are all important. You have to balance out per game productivity with raw stats IMO.

 

[Khomutov]

Talking about half-seasons or extended streaks
In 2008-2009 Malkin first 33 games, 58 points
In 2011-2012 Malkin last 40 games, 64 points

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Talking about half-seasons or extended streaks
In 2008-2009 Malkin first 33 games, 58 points
In 2011-2012 Malkin last 40 games, 64 points

Yeah all this talk about Crosby or Ovechkin, Malkin actually has a decent claim to this as well.

His 08-09 season he had 113 points followed by a 36 point playoff. That's the best reg season+playoff anyone has had in this era by far.

His 11-12 season he had 50 goals and 109 points in 75 games, 12 points ahead of the next closest. Truly in a league of his own that year and Crosby only played 22 games.

 

[nowhereman]

OV has the best single peak season, while Crosby was the best player at his peak (but saw his peak years decimated by injuries). Malkin is the mix, as well.

Those guys truly earned their title as “The Big 3”. Incredible talents.

 

[Son Goku]

Hilarious that Mcdavid has more votes than Malkin. Like what?

 

[Ben White]

Talking about half-seasons or extended streaks
In 2008-2009 Malkin first 33 games, 58 points
In 2011-2012 Malkin last 40 games, 64 points

This was no extended streaks though, only half seasons, barely. Not what I was talking about.

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

Well that would be for 1 season, and the answer is Malkin.

 

[MadLuke]

For short peak of one season, really hard question, Tim Thomas, Sakic that season, that cup win, those 2002 olympics it was a really good peak, Malkin obviously, Ov, Crosby, Datsyuk putting 96 points season with selke talks + good playoff, Thorton having all time good playmaking season etc...

For elite season's total, using this:
NHL & WHA Single Season Leaders and Records for Point Shares | Hockey-Reference.com

Player	point share during elite season	#Appereance in the top 250 PS
Roberto Luongo	98.91	6
Henrik Lundqvist	71.04	5
Tomas Vokoun	62.25	4
Miikka Kiprusoff	60.9	4
Martin Brodeur*	60.86	4
Alex Ovechkin	47.23	3
Carey Price	45.41	3
Tim Thomas	44.03	3
Pekka Rinne	43.85	3
Ilya Bryzgalov	42.06	3
Sidney Crosby	41.55	3
Jose Theodore	30.63	2
Cam Ward	30.25	2
Jaromir Jagr	29.65	2
Evgeni Malkin	29.61	2
Evgeni Nabokov	28.95	2
Jarome Iginla	28.6	2
Nicklas Lidstrom*	27.62	2
Ryan Miller	16.78	1
Mike Smith	16.73	1
Joe Sakic*	15.85	1

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Luongo look really good for this, Ovechkin for a skater.

Ovechkin peak of 2007-2008 to 2009-2010 was quite something and long:

During those 3 season:

Oveckin: 171 goals, 160 assist, 331 points in 233 games, that an average of 60 goals, 116 points 82 games pace sustained for almost 3 full season.

Crosby best moments were usually cut short with injuries in comparison.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Very tough.I'd go with Ovechkin in his 65 goals season.Or Carey Price's monster year.