Best Player in the Game....

[Shao]

I know, I know. Crosby.

My problem is we usually distinguish the best player in terms of position.

Why do we automatically have to choose a best player overall and always pick the highest scorer as the best player?

I kind of accept its Crosby even though I\'m a huge Ovechkin fan.

He won 4 awards last night. I don\'t think Crosby will do that (mainly also since there\'s no award for most assists).

My point is, perhaps we shouldn\'t pick the highest scorer and go with whoever is the most dominant at THEIR game.

Ovechkin is the best scorer. Sets a new record for goals by a LW. The 60 goal barrier hasn\'t been broken in like 12 years. He\'s like 21. Literally carries his horrible team into the playoffs.

I\'m not saying Crosby won\'t be even better and get 140 points or so and won\'t carry his team, I just think the title of \"best player\" gets thrown around merely on most points.


I\'d also like to point out that Lundqvist is easily shaping out to be the best goalie and possibly player in the game. 3 Vezina nominations in a row and he\'s been in the league for 3 years. Wow.

As well, what about Lidstrom. What a classy, smart, determined hockey player. We may not see a defenseman like that for many years. Totally dominates his position with what seems like such little effort. He\'s also managed to increase his scoring over the years. Simply awesome.

Aside from Lidstrom and Lundqvist, I believe it should be Ovechkin b/c what he has over the other 3 players I\'ve mentioned is that he will totally reshape and redefine what it means to be the best LW ever. The other three will certainly be debatable.

Thoughts?

[GopherHockey]

I totally agree with your Lidstrom arguments, he should have at least been a finalist for the Hart the last two season, you can\'t tell me that there\'s anyone in the league that\'s more valuable to their team than Lidstrom. I like to compare him with Kevin Garnett in basketball (sorry to bring up the B word) he does everything well, he\'s extremely consistant and you just never have to worry about him showing up, he\'s just a rock.

[saywhaaaaat]

Best LW: Ovy, by a lot.
Best D: Lidstrom, by a lot

Best C: Probably Crosby, though Malkin is incredibly close to passing him, IMO. Spezza, Thornton and Lecav are still in the discussion.

Best RW: Iginla?

I strongly disagree on best goalie. Lundy is alright, but I think Brodeur, Nabokov, Kipper and Luongo are all better, and that Giguere is comparable.

[ultrawhiteness]

Zetterberg.

If i had to choose one forward to lead my team to the Stanley Cup, its that guy... and I\'ve been saying this as long as I\'ve been on dobberhockey.

[lanky522]

CURRENTLY the best players at said positions are:
C - Crosby
whatever.

LW - Ovechkin
best LW ever in the history of the sport. Period.

RW - Iginla
the number of dimensions that he impacts every game he plays is amazing

D - Lidstrom
obviously

G - Luongo
he\'s one of the few debatable goalies that has looked great on a bad team... until Brodeur or Lundqvist play for teams that give up 30 shots on goal minimum per game, I won\'t even listen to arguments that they are better.

In a few years however:
C - Malkin
the league brass wants to market crosby and everything, but Malkin\'s size makes all the difference. He\'ll be more durable in the long run

LW - Ovechkin
same. There\'s not a left wing that will come around possibly in our lifetimes that will break the positional records he sets

RW - Iginla
until he retires, he will continue to dominate his position, while bringing a tremendous amount of class and leadership to his team

D - Phaneuf
without a doubt the most amazing defender to enter the league since ray bourque or paul coffey. He\'s one of the most dominating defenders in his own end, and has scored more goals since he joined the league than any young defender since Ray and Paul. He is already becoming the next Lidstrom... except he actually scores. Just a tremendous defender.

G - Fleury (or Luongo)
This is tough because these guys will battle in the coming years like Luongo and Brodeur battle now. Fleury is just incredible and he\'s only 23. Show me another goalie that can be as dominant as fleury can be at such a young age. It\'s a very rare thing. Luongo is luongo. Price will be something to watch 3-5 years down the road too (but it\'s too soon to consider him in this category yet).

[repenttokyo]

I think a very strong argument could be made for Lidstrom being the best player in the game. He\'s a player who does not make mistakes. How rare is that? Especially considering how much responsibility he has.

[mister_mcgoo]

lanky you summed up my thoughts really well, +1 for you

This is a good qst, I get in arguments with people all the time about Crosby and its really sorta stupid because in general I\'m a Crosby supporter, I\'m just not ready to crown him the next great until I see some more from him. And as an Ovie owner I can firmly say that I\'m ecstatic to have him over Crosby even tho I probably would have taken Crosby had I picked earlier. As you guys pointed out, Ovechkin is a pure goal scorer, incredible talent and passion and he singlehandedly dragged his shitty team into the playoffs, thats the type of guy I build my team around if I\'m a GM

[repenttokyo]

lanky522 wrote:

In a few years however:
C - Malkin
the league brass wants to market crosby and everything, but Malkin\'s size makes all the difference. He\'ll be more durable in the long run

what exactly do you mean when you say his size? he\'s a few inches taller than crosby, yes - but he is also a year older than crosby and 20 lbs lighter, giving crosby the size advantage...

[honduranhockey]

Wade Belak

[repenttokyo]

honduranhockey wrote:

Wade Belak

welcome back!

[honduranhockey]

Thanks on behalf of Belak Nation! He\'s the Cadillac of 4th liners!

[lanky522]

repenttokyo wrote:

lanky522 wrote:

In a few years however:
C - Malkin
the league brass wants to market crosby and everything, but Malkin\'s size makes all the difference. He\'ll be more durable in the long run

what exactly do you mean when you say his size? he\'s a few inches taller than crosby, yes - but he is also a year older than crosby and 20 lbs lighter, giving crosby the size advantage...

I know that they are pretty much the same size (except for a few inches here and a few pounds there), but I just think that Malkin plays \"bigger\" on the ice than Crosby does (in the same way that Theo Fleury played a bigger game than Zdeno Chara does imo )

Malkin goes places and does things that I haven\'t seen Crosby do.

I think that Crosby will be great, and may ultimately be the better point producer (maybe)... but i think malkin will be the better player.

I can\'t really explain it and I don\'t really have facts to back it up, but Malkin just impresses me a little more than crosby every time I watch pittsburgh play (even if he doesn\'t get on the scoresheet and crosby does).

[Shooter]

Most exciting scorers
Kovalchuk and Ovechkin

Most elusive player
Datsyuk (also sickest hands)

Best all round player
Iginla

Player I would want to build my team around
Crosby or Zetterberg or Jonathan Toews (I think Toews may be the next Joe Sakic and I would have built my team around Sakic in his prime)

To build a team around a player I consider work ethic, talent, leadership and attitude.

[repenttokyo]

lanky522 wrote:

repenttokyo wrote:

lanky522 wrote:

In a few years however:
C - Malkin
the league brass wants to market crosby and everything, but Malkin\'s size makes all the difference. He\'ll be more durable in the long run

what exactly do you mean when you say his size? he\'s a few inches taller than crosby, yes - but he is also a year older than crosby and 20 lbs lighter, giving crosby the size advantage...

I know that they are pretty much the same size (except for a few inches here and a few pounds there), but I just think that Malkin plays \"bigger\" on the ice than Crosby does (in the same way that Theo Fleury played a bigger game than Zdeno Chara does imo )

Malkin goes places and does things that I haven\'t seen Crosby do.

I think that Crosby will be great, and may ultimately be the better point producer (maybe)... but i think malkin will be the better player.

I can\'t really explain it and I don\'t really have facts to back it up, but Malkin just impresses me a little more than crosby every time I watch pittsburgh play (even if he doesn\'t get on the scoresheet and crosby does).

i agree that if malkin increases his weight he could definitely be more of a force in the years to come. i see him get knocked off of pucks that he really shouldn\'t at his size, and i know that as he matures that will happen less and less.

[hockeylifer]

This is rhetorical on my part.

1A: Ovechkin
1B: Crosby
1C: Malkin

As a fan, I like Ovechkin\'s game better. These 3 players are going to be the \'elite\' players in the NHL for the next 5 years, at least. Their play will put them at another level. They may be joined by others but they will be in the group.