Sidney Crosby rose to NHL stardom in 2005, when he was an 18-year old trying to live up to expectations bestowed upon him by the “Great One,” Wayne Gretzky.
Since then, the “Next One” as Gretzky would say, has done nothing but exceed those expectations.
Crosby is hockey’s current leader in points with 17, including 10 goals and seven assists.
He leads San Jose’s Joe Pavelski in the scoring race by five points, and is currently exceeding a two-points-per-game-pace for the season. Should he maintain his current pace, Crosby would end the season with 175 points in 82 games, including 72 goals.
In this day and age, those numbers are unheard of. Scoring is harder in today’s NHL than it was in the days of Gretzky and Lemieux, as defense and goaltending are increasingly becoming more prominent, despite some rule changes.
These numbers are not just unheard of: they are legendary.
Yet there are many across the NHL spectrum that dispute Crosby’s reign as the league’s best player. Many argue that Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals claimed that title with his performance last season, when he finished with 56 points in 48 games.
Crosby likely would have taken the Art Ross Trophy for the scoring title last season had he not been injured by a deflected puck that broke his jaw and caused him to miss almost a month of the season.
An argument that many not in favor of Crosby make is that his durability is a problem. Crosby has missed a total of 186 games (which is nearly two and a half full season) due to injury, including a severe concussion that forced him to sit out approximately 13 months.
Nonetheless, the greatest hockey player on the planet cannot be downgraded because he has been plagued by injury. Oftentimes, injuries happen by chance, and it is not fair to judge a player’s ability and contributions to his team based on time spent on the injured reserve.
Crosby’s career numbers as far as points-to-game ratio are higher than any active player in the NHL. His career totals include 682 points in 478 games, including 245 goals.
His presence on the ice is especially evident in his career, with a plus/minus rating of +110 and 72 power play goals.
In addition to offense, Crosby also plays a key role in penalty killing, as he is put in the faceoff circle for defensive-zone draws because he’s won over 50 percent of faceoffs in his career.
Although there are many fans and analysts across the planet that question Crosby’s ability to stay healthy, there is no doubt that he is the most talented player of our generation.
If he keeps playing above superstar level, it is possible that Crosby could go down as the “Greatest One.”
ks363012@ohiou.edu
