Best player in the world: 2017

[FrankSidebottom]

Citizen Kane was better than everyone else and we are in 2017 (16/17 season).

Previous polls:
1998 (62% 1 Hasek, 2 Jagr, 3 Forsberg)
1999 (48% 1 Jagr, 2 Hasek, 3 Forsberg)
2000 (72% 1 Jagr, 2 Pronger, 3 Bure)
2001 (33% 1 Lemieux, 2 Sakic, 3 Jagr)
2002 (36% 1 Iginla, 2 Lidstrom, 3 Lemieux)
2003 (52% 1 Forsberg, 2 Naslund, 3 Lemieux)
2004 (23% 1 Forsberg, 2 St. Louis, 3 Luongo)
2006 (31% 1 Thornton, 2 Jagr, 3 Crosby)
2007 (73% 1 Crosby, 2 Lidstrom, 3 Lecavalier/Luongo)
2008 (64% 1 Ovechkin, 2 Crosby, 3 Zetterberg)
2009 (44% 1 Ovechkin, 2 Malkin, 3 Crosby)
2010 (56% 1 Ovechkin, 2 Crosby, 3 H.Sedin)
2011 (58% 1 Crosby, 2 Thomas, 3 D. Sedin)
2012 (47% 1 Malkin, 2 Crosby, 3 Stamkos)
2013 (70% 1 Crosby, 2 Ovechkin, 3 Malkin)
2014 (80% 1 Crosby, 2 Malkin, 3 Price)
2015 (42% 1 Price, 2 Crosby, 3 Ovechkin)
2016 (42% 1 Kane, 2 Crosby, 3 Karlsson)

Click to read more...

 

[blundluntman]

McDavid had a great season this year but I take Crosby. He had a great regular season this year, 2nd in ppg and relatively close to McDavid along with a Richard. I don't think he deserved the smythe in 2016 but he deserved it as much as anyone else this season, he was great this year. McDavid had playoff growing pains and was outperformed this post-season by Draisaitl so Crosby edges him out by a significant enough margin for me to take him.

 

[Madap]

I think McDavids season was more impressive given he was just 19, but he wasn’t better than Sid overall. Similar offensive regular season performance as McDavid, but an edge to Sid still given his goal scoring and was probably better defensively too. Playoffs aren’t close obviously.

Last year of being on top though.

 

[Adele Dazeem]

Karlsson almost won a Cup himself.

 

[wetcoast]

Crosby in the playoffs is the difference here.

Great regular season as well but McDavid's time is coming but this year it's too early.

 

[bobholly39]

Crosby.

Best player in the world cup to start the year.
Best player most of the season (lead league in goals and ppg till ~end of March. McDavid takes over ppg by grabbing 9 points in final 5 games of season)
Crosby again best player in the playoffs. 2nd straight smythe.

McDavid is great, and he was certainly getting very close to Crosby this year - but Crosby remains ahead.

 

[Miro4Norris]

Crosby easily. Regular season was pretty equal offensively, Sid scoring 44goals(Rocket) and 89pts in 75 games and Connor 30goals and 100points(Art Ross) but Crosby was wayy better 2-way player than young Connor.

The "easily" comes from World Cup where Sid proved to be simply superior compared to anyone else and from his Conn Smythe/Cup run while McDavid was quiet in playoffs

 

[nowhereman]

This is Crosby's last year as #1 before McDavid took the mantle. Obviously, his detractors (who will be by shortly) will cry "grace period" but Crosby was scoring at a comparable rate and was dominant in the playoffs, winning the Smythe and World Cup MVP. His comparable offense, better all-round game, defensive ability, and playoff experience (where McDavid underwhelmed this year) all position him as #1. Even McDavid said Crosby was clearly the best.

 

[Dust]

Close between Crosby and McDavid. I don't put too much weight into the WCOH because that was such a weird format with some odd teams, whereas normally you'd have these guys on the same team (which we've sadly never seen to this point. Fingers crossed Olympics).

 

[End of Line]

Crosby
Karlsson
McDavid

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Crosby
World cup mvp
Smythe
2nd in hart
Richard
0.3 ppg behind mcdavid.
This was the apex of his career and I remember clearly his stature was never higher

 

[Regal]

I think Crosby was the best player of the calendar year of 2016, with a strong second half of 2015-16, the World Cup performance and another strong first half in 2016-17 (he was 1 point behind McDavid and Malkin at the end of December but in 6 fewer games and with his big goal totals). After being just part of the pack from basically the second half of 13-14 to the end of 2015, it was really the last sustained effort of him playing like the best in the world. He was still really good in the second half of 16-17, but that’s when McDavid started to hit his stride more (McDavid had a 10 point lead with only 1 more game played from January on). And while Crosby had a good playoffs and McDavid struggled against Kesler in the second round, I still think McDavid had passed him at that point, and it became more clear the following year. I ended up voting McDavid here because I’m looking at it more at the end of the season, but I think either player is a good choice.

I know Karlsson will get some support too, but I think that was largely based on his playoffs. But he wasn’t quite at that level consistently enough. Just as Keith was looked like the best player in the world during the 2015 playoffs but it wasn’t enough to make him the best overall.

 

[um]

Karlsson almost won a Cup himself.

2 series wins is not almost.

 

[ijuka]

Well when I was watching the playoffs that year, I have no doubt who I thought was the best player so I voted for Karlsson.

 

[WillardJFredricks]

Karlsson almost won a Cup himself.

Yeah, if not even making the finals is almost winning a cup...

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Regular season I'd lean Crosby as PPG is close enough, but he had way more goals. I can see why some will say McDavid for regular season. But Crosby also had a great playoff run so he's the easy choice here.

 

[Adele Dazeem]

2 series wins is not almost.

Yes it is. Look how bad some teams' fans are crying after winning one round.

Oh, and if Kunitz doesn't score that goal, it's three.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Yes it is. Look how bad some teams' fans are crying after winning one round.

Oh, and if Kunitz doesn't score that goal, it's three.

Guess you had the primary assist on that kunitz goal

 

[um]

Yes it is. Look how bad some teams' fans are crying after winning one round.

Oh, and if Kunitz doesn't score that goal, it's three.

it's simple math, 2/4 is 50%, 50% is not close.

No, Ottawa would still have to score to win the series.

 

[Video Nasty]

I think it’s Crosby for the final time. I believe he was close in the points race late until McDavid surged ahead. He also played 75 games, so I’m willing to project out, even if he probably still loses the Art Ross. His playoff run is a lot more Conn Smythe worthy, so I think it’s fair to give the overall nod.

 

[Xirik]

I'm I thinking of the wrong year? Why isn't Hall at least part of the poll?

 

[Phil Kessels Hot Dog]

I'm I thinking of the wrong year? Why isn't Hall at least part of the poll?

He scored like 53 points in 16-17

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Argument for Malkin:

-1st in playoff scoring
-3rd in regular season points per game

 

[Svencouver]

Pretty impressive that Crosby either is or has a strong argument for being the best player in the world every year from 2013-2017. The 2011-2013 period is always alluded do as the big "what if" moment of his career (and some of those years, starting in 2010, you could still make an argument for him as the best), but part of why I'm pretty insistent on him being clearly the best player of the decade, and the generation, is because of how much he did to justify that reputation both before and after those abridged "peak" years.

Idk if we'll really see a team manage that level of consistent success and multi-decade cup contention (with multiple wins in those different decades) with a same core for a while. To be able to step into the league, immediately contend and win, and go back to contending and winning again almost a decade later, with a rebuilt roster, a different coach, and a completely different game, is really special. It's a testament to the relentless work that not just Crosby, but that entire core put in. I do think though, to Crosby's credit, that the Pens success really starts with him; that legacy of continued generational excellence makes him a reasonable contender for arguably the greatest Captain of all time. Youngest Captain to ever win a cup, only really behind Yzerman for the longest tenured Captain of all time (could still get there, and probably will), no controversies, always elevated his teammates, excellent training partner and work ethic example; great leader, both for the Pens and internationally, and has won in every capacity he's Captained in. It's either him or Beliveau, but I give the slight nod to Crosby, as I do in my all time rankings.

 

[wetcoast]

I'm I thinking of the wrong year? Why isn't Hall at least part of the poll?

Hall was never considered the best player in the world in any year.

Even in his Hart year he has a tough case of being top 3.