Evgeni Malkin vs Joe Sakic

[ted2019]

Sakic

 

[sdf]

In situation when it is almost even, better is that one who has more highlight reel goals and plays, so malkin

 

[bambamcam4ever]

It's almost like Sakic won the same thing while setting the record for most playoff goals in a season in 1996. Sakic also has the Olympics MVP over Malkin.

Sakic doesn't have the record though. Leach and Kurri have 19.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Lindsay: 1--1
Finalist: 1--3

Sakic was a Lindsay/Pearson finalist twice (2001 when he won, and also in 2004). Malkin is still ahead, but not by as much.

You don't list the Selke trophy, but it's probably worth indicating that Sakic was a finalist for that once as well.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Malkin, close but clear. Once he compiles enough points by career’s end, don’t think there will be any case for the likes of Sakic over him.

 

[ole ole]

Two all time great centers, but between these two, who is the greater player?

Hab fan picking Sakic and this coming from a big fan of Malkin.
And i have seen them both play.

 

[Foppberg]

Sakic.

 

[SuperScript29]

Malkin is the greater player but I would rather have Sakic on my team.

It's very close and an argument can be made for either side.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Sakic was a Lindsay/Pearson finalist twice (2001 when he won, and also in 2004). Malkin is still ahead, but not by as much.

You don't list the Selke trophy, but it's probably worth indicating that Sakic was a finalist for that once as well.

You are correct, I forgot about that year.

Selke I left off because I think we all know these 2 players shouldn't really be compared lol.

 

[Buck Naked]

Peak, Malkin for sure. Sakic alltogether though.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

All of the people suggesting that people don't remember Sakic, doesn't the opposite work too where some people might have nostalgia?

 

[bleedgreen]

Sakic wasn’t just an elite center, he was truly clutch. One of the best playoff performers ive seen. Malkin is an elite player but it’s hard to watch the careers of both and not take Sakic.

 

[bleedgreen]

In situation when it is almost even, better is that one who has more highlight reel goals and plays, so malkin

Is this a serious post?

 

[The Abusement Park]

Malkin, close but clear. Once he compiles enough points by career’s end, don’t think there will be any case for the likes of Sakic over him.

I mean do we really think Malkin will be healthy or consistent enough to come close to 1600 points? I just don’t see a way that Malkin will be able to surpass Sakic unless he wins another major trophy, but that seems unlikely at 34.

 

[Shinjuku Calling]

Sakic.

 

[sdf]

Is this a serious post?

Idk malkin beat the crap out of him in terms of highlights and nice plays, why sacic not has as many such moments? Maybe because he less skilled

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Forsberg was better than Sakic and Malkin has slightly higher peak than Forsberg.

 

[wasunder]

Career Sakic, Peak Malkin.

 

[BanditKeith99]

Malkin. I always hated Sakic.

Very similar players though. I don't really like Malkin either. I wish there was a third option here.

How do you hate Sakic?

 

[Arthur Morgan]

take Sakic without thinking everytime sorry Malkin
I was the leafs fan that traded Sundin for Sakic in every NHL game's Franchise mode growing up lol
Bought a Nordiques Sakic Jersey too but they screwed up and put a C on it over an A. thank god he Captained the team for 1 season before moving for Colorado.

 

[DickSmehlik]

It is close, but Malkin's lack of durability is going to tip the scales for me towards Sakic.

If Malkin wasn't so injury prone, I think it would be him comfortably but consider he's only played 70 games 2x in the past 13 seasons, and he loses some points in my book.

 

[Midnight Judges]

In Canada Malkin is not even a top 100 player, but here in real life he's pretty darn close to Sakic.

IMO Sakic is just a bit ahead.

 

[psycat]

Sakic but Malkin was better at their absolute best imo, close either way.

 

[eviohh26]

Peak Malkin.

 

[bleedgreen]

Idk malkin beat the crap out of him in terms of highlights and nice plays, why sacic not has as many such moments? Maybe because he less skilled

Well Sakic started playing in the late 80’s! With Gretzky and Lemieux enough of the highlights survived to show you what it was about but not all the other great players. Yzerman and Sakic both were highlight reel players every night in the late 80’s-early 90’s but there is very little YouTube proof of it. Most of what you see of Sakic is when he’s older and they’ve moved to Colorado. That’s when the accolades happen along with the team success, but even still youre only seeing snippets of what he did. There’s not a lot of great highlight videos of him period let alone career spanning. Also as he grew older he became like most elite offensive players and stopped making individual plays as much, focusing on making the right play all the time so a lot less dangles. He used the skill for team play instead of highlight reels.

Malkin has been around the whole time in the YouTube era, every nice move he’s ever made gets replayed and you can go back and see your favorites pretty much any time you want.

I can see how people say Malkin’s peak was better, the proof is more recent and easy to look at. He also had the benefit of having a great team around him the whole time, sharing top center duties with a generational player which allowed him more time and space than young Sakic got. Joe played for a miserable hockey team his early years, he was the focal point for teams to key on. Even when he had Sundin, the rest of the team was crap.

Malkin is fancier with individual stick handling. The rest of the skills I’d give the edge to Sakic. Not that Geno lacks intangibles at all but I’d give the edge there to Sakic too. Geno had one year where he was unstoppable in the playoffs and humiliated my Canes. Sakic made a career of being huge in the playoffs. Despite all the amazing talent, so many of the big plays the team needed were Sakic.