Crosby top 5 of all time?

[roenick27]

Not trying to argue, but all of your arguments almost could be reversed as well. How would Richard fare against the goalies of today, or the trap? Power plays used to be extended etc. could a goalie back then stop an Ovie slapper? Crosby would skate right around everyone and so forth.
The lists are fun. Clearly era has to be factored in and there is no correct way to do so. Maybe if you do a top 5 of each decade or era? Personally I prefer to just look at it like a HOF discussion...was this player a top 5 player in his decade/era? That to me signifies who the elite players of the era are, which is probably the most quantitative way to do so.

Regardless, I don't see how gretz/Mario/Orr can't be in the top 5. The other 2 I think are more up for debate, but sid I'd say is either in or very very close.

hockey has to be the hardest spot to compile a top 5 list. it's so much harder to compare players from different eras in the nhl then say, Jordan and LeBron. the different eras also need to be factored in there, but it doesn't make as much a difference as it does here. even in baseball, comparing guys like babe ruth, willie mays, ty cobb, etc. the era isn't as much the issue, rather they are just very different kinds of players.
but in the nhl it's just so hard to compare. those who are saying Crosby is top 5 all time - I assume the majority are taking out Maurice Richard (if they had him in there in the first place). the nhl is a totally different place now than it was then. Richard was the greatest goal scorer of all time when he played. first to 50 in 50. take Richard and put him in our era, and his numbers explode.
for the same reason it's hard to say who's the greatest ever. how do you compare orr and gretzky. totally different eras. take orr and put him in gretzky's era, and he's even better. what if Mario never had his health issues - he'd probably have more than 2 cups. I grew up in the 90s and personally never saw anyone better than Mario since, including Crosby.
and those saying Crosby is top 5 is definitely saying he's better than beliveau and messier. I can understand that a lot more than having him over Richard, so i'm not disagreeing, but again, it's just so hard to compare. we're talking now about how clutch Crosby was in game 5 - messier never had any super important games where he just totally took over?
i'd feel more comfortable if we just said Crosby was top 10 and left it at that. top 10, definitely.

[Thunder]

Sorry boys, but Cy Denneny is undeniably top 5.

248 goals, 85 assists, 333 points in 328 games.

And he accomplished that before the NHL starting giving points for secondary assists.

If there had been secondary assists, he'd be way up there in terms of ppg.

And if you exclude his last two seasons in which he only got 6 points in 67 games, he's better than Gretzky. Like many, he retired way past his prime.

You think 50 in 50 was good? Pleeeeease, Denneny scored 36 in 20 before Richard was even born.

Im firmly in the camp that thinks such lists are pointless.

[butch]

trottier
potvin
bossy
gillies
goring

[Jouko-Pouko]

I would guess that goal-scoring was slightly easier when goalies looked like this... There were some small holes in there.

[Thunder]

I would guess that goal-scoring was slightly easier when goalies looked like this... There were some small holes in there.

On the other hand, they were using wood sticks with straight blades to shoot that puck at the goalie.

[Jouko-Pouko]

On the other hand, they were using wood sticks with straight blades to shoot that puck at the goalie.

Yeah but you could probably kick the puck in with how little net they're actually covering...

[Thunder]

I would guess that goal-scoring was slightly easier when goalies looked like this... There were some small holes in there.

On the other hand, they were using wood sticks with straight blades to shoot that puck at the goalie.

[kevinsrangers]

gretz
jagr
Lemieux
Crosby
ovechkin
I never got to see orr, richard, howe, etc so I'm not taking them for my list. also I've not included goalies or defenseman cause it's hard to compare against forward.

[kovalchuk17]

Sid is on track to be in the GOAT conversation and is easily the greatest player of my generation. Id wait till Sid finishes his career first before ranking the top players of all time. the guy isnt even 30 yet.

There should also be something said for being hyped up to be the next big thing in your teens in the internet era and not only reaching expectations but exceeding it as well in some ways. The same goes for Lebron in my books.

Too bad Sid didnt win the Memorial Cup with Rimouski!

According to Wikipedia, Scott Niedermayer and Corey Perry are the only players to have won the Stanley Cup, World Championship Gold, Olympic Gold, Memorial Cup, World Cup and World Juniors Gold. I thought Sakic was also a part of this club, but the Broncos won the Memorial Cup the year after he left lol.