Who owned the "Best player in the World" title since the Wayne/Mario era

[joe dirte]

Crosby and ovechkin were neck and neck for a few years after lockout. Tgen crosby had a few injured years and ovechkin pilled ahead. Ovechkin faded and then Crosby was solo as best. Then mcdavid came along and now it's him for the last couple of years.

 

[GlitchMarner]

I mean Crosby has two Conn Smythes...

I meant in the 2017 and 2018 seasons + playoffs.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Doesn't Crosby play with two PPG+ players on the PP?

EDM not only had the lowest number of PPOs in the League but had the worst PP as well.

That’s was hilarious.

 

[amnesiac]

02/03 Lidstrom

 

[JJ68]

We went through a period of down-years where guys like Lindros and Forsberg looked like they could have been the best in the world, but couldn't maintain their health consistently enough to prove it. That left Jagr who was a fantastic player but just didn't "feel" quite like a Gretzky/Lemieux/Crosby/McDavid caliber generational player.

IMO, that down period lasted from the end of Lemieux's prime around 1997 until the lockout, when the Crosby/Ovechkin duo and a bunch of rested-up superstars helped get things back on track. IMO Crosby has had the best career of this era and is therefore the natural answer to the question.

huh? Jagr feels more generational than any of those guys not named Mario or Wayne. He puts them in his back pocket for good measure.

 

[tarheelhockey]

huh? Jagr feels more generational than any of those guys not named Mario or Wayne. He puts them in his back pocket for good measure.

Maybe he does now, in light of having revived his reputation in his sunset years, but he didn’t feel like that at the time. He scored a lot of points and everything else about him was a distinct negative.

 

[MessierII]

Maybe he does now, in light of having revived his reputation in his sunset years, but he didn’t feel like that at the time. He scored a lot of points and everything else about him was a distinct negative.

When he won 4 straight art rosses I comfortably felt he was the best player besides healthy Mario.

 

[JJ68]

When he won 4 straight art rosses I comfortably felt he was the best player besides healthy Mario.

Yeah and when you tabulate the amount of points he had more than the second best in this time it's just not much of a debate.

 

[Critical13]

I remember a stretch of a couple years when Vinny Lecavalier was in the argument. Damn he was fun to watch in his prime.

I think he even used to fight people back then. I remember Thornton for sure and maybe Iginla.

 

[zar]

There's no such thing as "best player in the world."

Next thing you are going to tell us is there is no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny!

My apologies to all of the 8 year olds on this site.

 

[Megahab]

I would argue that 1995,1996, and 1997 Lindros was the best player in the league.
Then, injuries began to derail him.

At least 1996 had to be Lemieux.

 

[Laineux]

Do the Blackhawks still have their grace period as the #1 team in the league?

 

[daver]

Rectification, he was THE best player in each season.
No co-best spot

Didn't say he wasn't the best player that season (although OV was right there with him) but one season doesn't necessarily make you the best player in the world. Prior years and playoff performances need to be factored in too.

If someone wants to start a "Best player in each season" thread, go right ahead, this is intended to be a more fluid discussion.

 

[daver]

Crosby and ovechkin were neck and neck for a few years after lockout. Tgen crosby had a few injured years and ovechkin pilled ahead. Ovechkin faded and then Crosby was solo as best. Then mcdavid came along and now it's him for the last couple of years.

How did OV pull ahead? Crosby tied him in goals scored in 10/11 in only half the amount of games. In 16/17, Crosby outscored and outPPGed McDavid while playing a much better all around game.

 

[daver]

In the 7 seasons between 2000 and 2008, Lidstrom won the Norris 6 times, the Smythe once, and finished top 10 in Hart voting 5 times. he also averaged 65 points per season on top of an already A++ defensive reputation (and that average is deflated due to a very weird 2003-04 season of only 38 points).

I think he needs to be brought up more.

It usually takes a generational season for a goalie or D-man to get Hart recognition. Lidstrom was never viewed as such a dominant d-man in any season that he got serious Hart consideration. That being said, he could be in there in 02 and 03 when Jagr and Sakic regressed and Forsberg was dealing with injuries. There is no doubt he was the best d-man in the world for a long time.

 

[Captain Controversy]

Mcdavid is better now but ok.

 

[Captain Controversy]

Disagree with crosby besting mcdavid in ppg while playing a better two way game. Higher scoring era and crosby was not better than mcdavid at his age in 2 way play. Mcdavid leads in take aways.

 

[daver]

Disagree with crosby besting mcdavid in ppg while playing a better two way game. Higher scoring era and crosby was not better than mcdavid at his age in 2 way play. Mcdavid leads in take aways.

What does this have to do with Crosby besting McDavid in 16/17 in points and PPG and playing a better 2-way game?

 

[SML2]

Lidstrom.
1564 games played.
4 cups.
Olympic gold.
World championship.
Conn Smythe.
7 Norris trophies
1st Euro captain to win a cup.
But you wanna hear Crosby is the best right? We'll pretend Lidstrom never played.

 

[Legionnaire]

Disagree with crosby besting mcdavid in ppg while playing a better two way game. Higher scoring era and crosby was not better than mcdavid at his age in 2 way play. Mcdavid leads in take aways.

And it begins.

 

[seafoam]

It’s been Auston Matthews since Super Mario hung up the skates.

 

[ricky0034]

I meant 2016/17. No way was McDavid good enough to overcome a 109th place in scoring the year before.

funny how when Crosby misses games it's all about the PPG but with McDavid all of a sudden it's "109th place in scoring" and having higher PPG than Crosby did doesn't matter

 

[Voight]

How did OV pull ahead? Crosby tied him in goals scored in 10/11 in only half the amount of games. In 16/17, Crosby outscored and outPPGed McDavid while playing a much better all around game.

For what feels like the 10th time in this thread, no he didn't.

Yet again, I will give you a good site to look at before you blurt out untrue statements.

2016-17 NHL Leaders | Hockey-Reference.com

In 2010-2011 Ovechkin was a 2nd AST and finished with 85 points. Both things Crosby didn't do. He was better that year.

 

[Morbo]

It’s been Auston Matthews since Super Mario hung up the skates.

come on dude, don't do this. you're a better poster than that.

 

[Voight]

Lidstrom.
1564 games played.
4 cups.
Olympic gold.
World championship.
Conn Smythe.
7 Norris trophies
1st Euro captain to win a cup.
But you wanna hear Crosby is the best right? We'll pretend Lidstrom never played.

Lidstrom was a great player but he was never a finalist for the Hart. 2007-2008 was the closest he got to being one.

& 7 Norris' is obviously amazing, but lets not forget there was weaker competition than the previous 2 or 3 decades.