Better center pair today: Crosby + Malkin vs 2 Nick Suzuki's

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Imagine a best of 7 series was starting today, which 1-2 center punch would you take? Crosby + Malkin vs Suzuki + Suzuki?

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[DitchMarner]

Why would anyone even consider taking two Suzukis? Cap reasons?

 

[dgibb10]

Based on what they were the last time they played (last season), probably Crosby Malkin still.

If I'm projecting into the start of next season, give me the 25 year olds

 

[Baksfamous112]

Why would anyone even consider taking two Suzukis? Cap reasons?

Same team/teammates? Why would you consider Crosby (37) and Malkin (38) who’s washed up?

We’re not talking prime Crosby and Malkin here.

 

[DitchMarner]

Same team/teammates? Why would you consider Crosby (37) and Malkin (38) who’s washed up?

We’re not talking prime Crosby and Malkin here.

Okay... then it's a lot closer.

I think Crosby was a lot better than Suzuki last year. Malkin does seem to be slowing down, but at this time I would still take the Penguins.

 

[Baksfamous112]

Okay... then it's a lot closer.

I think Crosby was a lot better than Suzuki last year. Malkin does seem to be slowing down, but at this time I would still take the Penguins.

We’re not even talking about last year. We’re talking right now at this very moment. Crosby was better last year but I don’t think it closes the gap enough to cover Malkin’s. He slowed down a lot and I’m sure another 4-5 months didn’t really help much with his case

 

[Ezpz]

Malkin is so much worse defensively while I think Crosby is still clearly better.

Nick did match against Malkin several years back and eliminate the pens from the covid play ins.

I would take the two Nick's assuming Crosby and Malkin are more likely to regress this season while Nick Suzuki hasn't peaked yet.

 

[Letsdothis]

Crosby is still comfortably the best player here, assuming he hasn't fallen off a cliff during summer. I'd take Crosby and Malkin.. but wouldn't be surprised if it's a pair of Suzukis by the time playoff hockey is actually played next.

 

[Bouboumaster]

Crosby > Suzuki = Suzuki > Malkin

I went with the Suzukis because at this point in Time, I think that Suzuki is Much more versatile than Malkin

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Crosby and Malkin for next season , probably two Suzuki's after that , Old man Crosby is still great.

 

[Evergreen]

Sid and Malkin, no question.

 

[Mirka the Turka]

Crosby and Malkin could steal a playoff series still. Problem is they gotta make the playoffs

 

[Regal]

Everyone’s down on Malkin but he was still a better 5v5 producer last year than Suzuki has ever been and the Pens PP was an absolute mess which brought down his totals. Suzuki’s increase in production was solely due to big PP numbers, but I’m not sure if they’ll continue to be as strong. He was getting points on a much higher percentage of the team’s PP goals while he was on the ice than he ever has. I think they’re probably pretty similar offensively at this point. Suzuki is certainly much better defensively than Malkin but I don’t think the overall gap between them is as big as some are suggesting, and I’d prefer to still have the best player here in Sid.

 

[Hisch13r]

I don’t even think Suzuki’s that much better than Malkin. Easily Sid/Malkin

 

[Lshap]

Suzuki keeps getting stronger each season – from 61 to 66 to 77 pts, (21 / 26 / 33 goals). Obviously he won't continue climbing forever, but at 24 he put up 1C numbers on one of the worst offensive teams in the league. As Montreal's roster improves, so will Suzuki's production.

Crosby is one the best all-time and still awesome. Malkin's decline is sharper. I can't fault anyone for gambling on this aging HoF duo, but Suzuki-X2 is the safer bet.

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

Crosby >> Suzuki
Suzuki > Malkin

For this season, I would still pick the Pitt duo in hopes Malkin has a last hurrah but I would feel safer with the 2 Suzukis.

 

[dgibb10]

Everyone’s down on Malkin but he was still a better 5v5 producer last year than Suzuki has ever been and the Pens PP was an absolute mess which brought down his totals. Suzuki’s increase in production was solely due to big PP numbers, but I’m not sure if they’ll continue to be as strong. He was getting points on a much higher percentage of the team’s PP goals while he was on the ice than he ever has. I think they’re probably pretty similar offensively at this point. Suzuki is certainly much better defensively than Malkin but I don’t think the overall gap between them is as big as some are suggesting, and I’d prefer to still have the best player here in Sid.

Okay but Crosby and Malkin are very key elements on that PP. You cannot absolve the 2 primary members of the PP from blame for the PP being bad

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I don’t even think Suzuki’s that much better than Malkin. Easily Sid/Malkin

Yeah I am surprised at the sentiment that Suzuki is somehow way better than Malkin. Malkin was much more productive at 5v5 with much worse linemates and had very good possession and goal differential numbers.

Heck, Malkin's primary point/60 production was greater than Suzuki's total scoring rate:

Malkin

• 0.98 g/60
• 2.28 p/60
• 1.87 primary p/60
• Rakell and Smith as most common linemates

Suzuki

• 0.48 g/60
• 1.84 p/60
• 1.36 primary p/60
• Caufield and Slafkovsky as most common linemates

The Pens PP has been a mess the last few years, but I think that has more to do with coaching than guys like Malkin and Crosby not being good PP players.

 

[David Suzuki]

I'd just double shift Crosby

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Life comes at you fast @Baksfamous112

Votes now 49-5, and I am pretty sure those 5 votes are almost exclusively Habs fans....

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think Malkin's a clear step behind what he once was, where he's only more of a 2C at this point, but Crosby is so much better than Suzuki that it's the Penguins duo clearly.

 

[Beau Knows]

"They can't even carry their team into a playoff spot anymore", that's an interesting criteria.

Montreal had one Suzuki and they were still in the bottom 5 of the league. Would another one have guaranteed a playoff spot?

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Life comes at you fast @Baksfamous112
View attachment 898616
Votes now 49-5, and I am pretty sure those 5 votes are almost exclusively Habs fans....
View attachment 898618

Love this pettiness, good job

 

[Regal]

Okay but Crosby and Malkin are very key elements on that PP. You cannot absolve the 2 primary members of the PP from blame for the PP being bad

Absolutely, but there’s also a lot of chemistry and strategy that goes into PPs and sometimes it’s just a bad mix. Usually when players dramatically regress offensively it’s more noticeable at 5v5, and we’ve seen Crosby and Malkin succeed on the PP in the past. I’d be more confident in Malkin figuring it out on the PP in a different scenario than I would in him increasing his 5v5 production if that had tanked. If it’s a situation where Suzuki is simply that much better on the PP now, then fair enough, but I don’t know if we can say that confidently just yet.

 

[banks]

The fact that the question is for just a 7 game series starting right now means the right answer is probably Crosby/Malkin. But I've lost a lot of faith in Geno, he just doesn't look like a difference maker any more.

I picked 2 Suzukis. I'm a huge fan.