Will Sidney Crosby win another major NHL award in his career?

[The Winter Soldier]

If won a Smythe with a performance like 2016 again, it would be purely a reputational win.

At the time I was 50-50 on Sid winning it, but his game has evolved. He is a 200 ft player, he has taken a page out of Toews playbook, and is a better version of what Toews was. I appreciate his game more now. It's not always the points that make a player great.

 

[Varan]

Crosby's always been said to have one of the highest hockey IQ in the game (or - overall highest). Even if you don't think he's performing today at a Selke level, I figure it's not all that far fetched that he could still improve a lot in the defensive end in coming seasons if his offense slows some more. A bit like Yzerman did.....no?

I agree he hasn't had a strong enough defensive season to win the selke yet.

I agree on the Selke. But for the purpose of this thread, I wanted to include it.
Rocket isn't a major award either imo.



I think hart on its own is unlikely.
To be honest I feel that if he wins again, it'll start with a Ross. He's young enough that he could still have one more monster offensive season, where he wins the scoring championship, even if he hasn't factored into that race for the past 3 seasons now.

I suppose he could win a hart or lindsay without winning the Ross too - but any chance i think passes by him competing for the Ross. So even if he finishes 2nd in Ross race but like ~3-4 points back only, he'd have a chance. If he's ~15+ points off the Ross race (as he's been lately), I think Hart is a pipe dream.

I agree with many posters in thread saying Smythe is a possibility. Pens are still a contender, and if they win there's a ~50% chance Crosby is the best player/wins a smythe.

He can improve and his hockey IQ is superb, but mainly for the offensive side.

I just don’t see him playing such a high level of defense going into his mid-30s that will win him the Selke, because he hasn’t shown Selke-winning defense in the past.

Kudos on him improving his game as he ages

 

[Voight]

Without going off on a tangent and discussing the merit of the 2016 smythe - I think the odds of this happening are super slim. I think for him to win a 3rd one - he'd have to have a fantastic playoff run, if not they'd give it elsewhere.

Maybe if this was 10 years from now as a 42 yr old, maybe then they'd give him a reputation award with a weaker performance, but that's a bit far fetched. If he's in the running for the smythe as an elite performer in the next ~3-5 years, he'll have to have a strong performance, if not voter fatigue will prefer someone else.

I disagree, remember its the media that votes on the award. I would not be shocked if they gave him one even if there was one or two guys who were better. (providing neither had a historic Thomas or Malkin like run)

 

[Trap Jesus]

I'd never underestimate narrative building when you're dealing with generational players people want to pump up as much as possible as all-time greats, ESPECIALLY with something like the Hart Trophy that voters can just decide it's about the narrative or some kind of unquantifiable value to the team rather than overall play.

Just look at something like Gretzky vs. Lemieux for the Hart in 1989. Lemiuex breaks through with his Hart in 1988 then widens the point gap even further on Gretzky the next year. Yes, Gretzky going to LA factors into the story, but there's probably a real aspect at play where voters think, "This may be our last time to recognize him with Lemieux taking the reins."

If players like Crosby and Ovechkin are even in the ballpark of a major voted-on award, they're getting it.

 

[Gurglesons]

I could see him winning a Selke.

 

[Hynh]

He'll get a pity Selke

 

[Devil Dancer]

I don't think any of the Big 3 will win a major award again.

Even if you count the Rocket, I would guess that 19-20 will be Ovie's last.

There's too much great young talent in this league.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

No, but I say that with little certainty. I think he has the potential to for sure.

 

[bobbyking]

art Ross is very possible

 

[Varan]

I don't think any of the Big 3 will win a major award again.

Even if you count the Rocket, I would guess that 19-20 will be Ovie's last.

There's too much great young talent in this league.

Have my money on OV getting a Smythe. Pens and Caps are still great teams

 

[Varan]

art Ross is very possible

Very impossible

 

[The Winter Soldier]

art Ross is very possible

I don't think this is what interests Sid now at this stage of his career. Been there done that. Plus Draisaitl, McDavid, Pasta, Mackinnon, and maybe Eichel if he ever gets a decent team to play with are going to be this generation's Art Ross candidates. I don't see him winning an Art Ross at this stage of his career. He is going to pace himself, and get himself ready for the playoffs. His game is so complete now, he has a better chance at winning the Selke IMO.

 

[bobholly39]

Have my money on OV getting a Smythe. Pens and Caps are still great teams

I think if Caps win a cup, good chance Ov would win a smythe. But just like Crosby - for his second Smythe Ov would have to stand out more vs teammates. If we had a redo of 2018 with Kuz playing as good and arguably better - odds are Ovi wont win.

Which is also why i think - if Crosby wins a 3rd smythe, it'll have to be a really great performance.

I will say it would be absolutely hilarious to see Ovi end up with 2 smythes after all the flack he got for so long for lack of playoff success

 

[Plural]

He's going to win another Hart.

 

[Varan]

I think if Caps win a cup, good chance Ov would win a smythe. But just like Crosby - for his second Smythe Ov would have to stand out more vs teammates. If we had a redo of 2018 with Kuz playing as good and arguably better - odds are Ovi wont win.

Which is also why i think - if Crosby wins a 3rd smythe, it'll have to be a really great performance.

I will say it would be absolutely hilarious to see Ovi end up with 2 smythes after all the flack he got for so long for lack of playoff success

agreed with the first 2 paragraphs. Reputation/legacy played a role in both their first Smythes

All it takes is a few good years and the past seems forever ago. Crosby won back to back and no one remembers 2010-2015 when they couldn’t get it done. People started saying “3 rings”, “top-5 player ever”

It will be pure comedy

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Nope. The awards he's usually up for (Art Ross, Hart) are probably beyond him at this point. I guess there's the Conn Smythe, but that would also require the Pens winning another Cup to even be in contention.

 

[Varan]

Nope. The awards he's usually up for (Art Ross, Hart) are probably beyond him at this point. I guess there's the Conn Smythe, but that would also require the Pens winning another Cup to even be in contention.

Penguins are still a tough out. Wouldn’t surprise me to see them in the Finals again

 

[Regal]

Besides Crosby, they had 3 other PPG players (Guentzal had 40 goals and 78 points in 82 games but I'm counting him) plus Pens fans were saying Letang should win the Norris 2/3 of the way through the season.

Letang for Norris?

In today's NHL, how often does a team have 4 PPG players plus a Norris candidate?

They were far from a dumpster fire and had much better top end talent, depth, and coaching than any team that could remotely be called a dumpster fire. I said it at the time. The narrative was exaggerated. Then they went .714 without Sid and it is beyond obvious that the media narrative was overblown. But by all means I can see the kool aid is delicious up there north of the border. Carry on.

I love how you conflate two different seasons to pump up your own narrative, while complaining about writer narratives. This is like arguing that Ovechkin didn't deserve his 2nd place Hart finish in '15 because his production fell off in '16 and the team still had 118 points.

 

[Midnight Judges]

I love how you conflate two different seasons to pump up your own narrative, while complaining about writer narratives. This is like arguing that Ovechkin didn't deserve his 2nd place Hart finish in '15 because his production fell off in '16 and the team still had 118 points.

I'm not conflating two seasons. I'm using November-January of 2019-20 as a comparison to January-April 2019. It was largely the same team and the same coaching staff.

For one player to have an off year due to injuries - that happens. For an entire team to go from "dumpster fire" to 'best team in the NHL even without their 1C' (which they were with Crosby out) without a roster overhaul is far less likely.

NHL.com Stats

 

[Video Nasty]

I could easily see another undeserved Conn Smythe or even a Selke to try and convince future historians that he was truly a two way force.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Sid is only interested in one award at this point in his career. The Stanley Cup. This is why the Conn Smythe is the logical award he can still win. I haven't seen anything in his game to suggest he has lost a step. He is smarter pacing himself now, he is a better player than when he came into the NHL. There is not another player in the world I would want leading my team for a Cup than him. I would not bet against him.

 

[bobbyking]

Very impossible

I don't think this is what interests Sid now at this stage of his career. Been there done that. Plus Draisaitl, McDavid, Pasta, Mackinnon, and maybe Eichel if he ever gets a decent team to play with are going to be this generation's Art Ross candidates. I don't see him winning an Art Ross at this stage of his career. He is going to pace himself, and get himself ready for the playoffs. His game is so complete now, he has a better chance at winning the Selke IMO.

that oompa loompa st.louis won at 37 I believe

 

[Regal]

I'm not conflating two seasons. I'm using November-January of 2019-20 as a comparison to January-April 2019. It was largely the same team and the same coaching staff.

For one player to have an off year due to injuries - that happens. For an entire team to go from "dumpster fire" to 'best team in the NHL even without their 1C' (which they were with Crosby out) without a roster overhaul is far less likely.

NHL.com Stats

Those are two different seasons, so uh, yea, you are. And similar rosters does not mean in any way mean that players perform the same. Tristan Jarry had a .932 SV% in the time Crosby missed this year. Last year the Pens had a .917 SV%. That's a massive difference. Malkin and Kessel might have been PPG players, but they were absolutely atrocious defensively to the point of being liabilities. Malkn was much, much better this season and Rust was much better than Kessel was, becoming a PPG player himself. McCann played well as a 2nd line center. Marino came in and played like a top pairing defenseman. The differences are enormous, and it's absurd to suggest that the two teams are in related, and since your entire argument is based upon the premise that the two teams are the same, it completely falls apart.

Besides that, your entire premised is based on tearing down the idea that Crosby's Hart voting was because he "carried the team", which is a fabrication in itself. Crosby got those votes because of the quality of his play and the fact that his team made the playoffs. He was the 5th highest scorer in a season where the 2-4 scorers all missed the playoffs, while being a dominant all-around player. Even if you want to dismiss his defensive impact because of his utilization, the fact is that the team destroyed the opposition with him on the ice and did poorly without him. The team had a 65 GF% 5v5 with him on the ice and a 59 GF% with him on the ice at ES, but had a 48 GF% 5v5 and 49 GF% ES without him. But no, no, they were a great team that year based on a small sample the following year with unsustainable goaltending. Yea, it's bullshit. Honestly, it's just sad that you try to tear down "narratives" when this is the type of shit you're going to peddle as objective.

 

[Varan]

that oompa loompa st.louis won at 37 I believe

because crosby got injured

 

[wetcoast]

I don't think any of the Big 3 will win a major award again.

Even if you count the Rocket, I would guess that 19-20 will be Ovie's last.

There's too much great young talent in this league.

If I were a betting man I wouldn't bet for the Big 3 against the filed (heck even include Patrick Kane as part of the big 4) bet this against the field, the big 3 have had great careers but it's extremely unlikely any of them wins a major award against, heck even Ovechkin with his tie for the Rocket took it's toll on his overall game which simply wasn't very good this year.