For a playoff run this year - if you could pick any one player in the league to add to your team - how high would you pick Crosby and/or Ovechkin?

[bobholly39]

The premise is - you can choose to add any one player to your team for a playoff run this year in 2025. How high of a selection would Crosby be for you?

Is he your first choice? Is he a top 5 choice? Top 10? 15? 20? 25? Beyond top 25?

Same question for Ovechkin. Is he a top 1 choice? Top 5? 10? 15? 20? 25? Beyond top 25?

Both players have been compared their whole careers - and both are obviously still going very strong. Ovechkin is having a phenomenal year, and just broke the all-time goal record. Crosby is also having a very strong season - and is fresh of a terrific performance at the 4 Nations too.

Ignore any contractual consideration - just think of it as a player for one playoff run. If you're an Oiler fan - consider the question in a vacuum - ie if you vote #1, it means you'd pick them ahead of McDavid and Drai even if they're on your team already. Same for other fanbases.

I obviously don't expect either player to be #1 nor even top 5 - but if someone wants to argue that go ahead.

 

[Ignatius]

Crosby would be my 2C at least and Ovi would be my first or second line winger. I mean this is if I'm just building a team from scratch and get to pick whoever I want.

 

[wetcoast]

Took Crosby top 10 as we saw him in the 4 nations his experience and ability to play any role is the key here.

Ovi is outside the 25, last 4 playoffs just isn't worth adding and I don't think he bring enough if he isn't the top scoring triggerman and finisher on a line and wouldn't slide into a role as easily as Crosby.

 

[wetcoast]

Crosby would be my 2C at least and Ovi would be my first or second line winger. I mean this is if I'm just building a team from scratch and get to pick whoever I want.

Op set the perimeters, so adding to your current team it would seem.

The premise is - you can choose to add any one player to your team for a playoff run this year in 2025. How high of a selection would Crosby be for you?

 

[Nathaniel]

Crosby just led a championship team in scoring n is still a 90 point C. Ovechkin is a triggerman. Crosby top 10. OV outside top 25

 

[Nadal On Clay]

Crosby top 15
Ovechkin top 25

 

[banks]

Crosby top 5. I'd consider him for a top pick if it weren't for the fact that the Leafs (my team) could use a big-time defenseman more than another C. You don't fix #3 center instead of adding a top pair defenseman.

Ovie I'd take around top 25. He's having a good year, and scoring goals in the playoffs is pretty valuable. But there's just too many other star players in the league now to take him any higher.

 

[gtrower]

Player - GPG / primary PPG / PPG
Ovi - .677 / .968 / 1.13
Crosby - .403 / .805 / 1.13

So Ovi is more productive offensively while averaging 2:30 less ice time per game. Ovi is on a better team which probably helps those stats some. But in terms of primary point production per game he only trails Kucherov, McDavid, MacKinnon, Draisaitl, and Pastrnak.

Defensively Ovi isn’t asked to do much. Crosby is asked to do more but has been a trainwreck defensively.

So between the 2 Ovi is a pretty clear choice this season statistically speaking. In terms of where they rank relative to players from the rest of the league? Assuming you need a forward I’d put Ovi Top 5/10 and Crosby Top 15/20. Too hard to rank relative to defensemen and goaltenders.

 

[Video Nasty]

If I want someone to likely not score in the Finals, Crosby is the right choice.

 

[dukeofjive]

Habs need both badly.

Gun to my head I pick Crosby.

 

[wetcoast]

If I want someone to likely not score in the Finals, Crosby is the right choice.

Sure who wants to win 3 SC's anyways right?

 

[Video Nasty]

Sure who wants to win 3 SC's anyways right?

Oh, I thought we were picking players to add to a current team, not the ones who overcame Crosby scoring a whopping 2 goals across 3 SCF wins. I’d rather take the player who scored more than that in their lone appearance. Not interested in having a supposed good luck talisman.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

I dunno know which option to pick, but the answer is Crosby before Ovechkin.

 

[wetcoast]

Oh, I thought we were picking players to add to a current team, not the ones who overcame Crosby scoring a whopping 2 goals across 3 SCF wins. I’d rather take the player who scored more than that in their lone appearance. Not interested in having a supposed good luck talisman.

Feel free we have seen Ovi in the playoffs last 4 years and saw Crosby at the 4 nations but you keep doing you.

 

[Video Nasty]

Feel free we have seen Ovi in the playoffs last 4 years and saw Crosby at the 4 nations but you keep doing you.

I’ll take the Ovechkin riding high off breaking the goals record over Crosby being unable to “will” the Penguins into the playoffs yet again.

 

[Regal]

If it’s the Canucks managing to get in, I would take Crosby decently high as the team needs centers and play drivers at forward, so I’d probably take him over most of the D not named Makar (since the team already has Hughes), and a decent amount of wingers, some of whom have their own question marks in the playoffs like Marner. Still, while experience is a plus, I worry about a 37 year old holding up over a playoff run. Among centers I would take McDavid, MacKinnon, Draisaitl, Matthews, Barkov, Eichel and Point. But I’d even consider younger guys like Thomas and Suzuki the way they’re playing lately. Add in Makar, Pasta, and probably Hellebuyck and Vasilevskiy (they need forwards but a big upgrade in goal with Demko a question mark and Lankinen not a star is probably worth it), and I said top 20, though it might be top 15.

With Ovechkin, his goal scoring would certainly be beneficial as well, and Hughes could probably utilize him well, but I think the team needs more play drivers and creators ahead of that, and I’d add guys like Kaprizov, Rantanen, Marner, etc, and maybe a few more D. I said outside the top 25, but I could see a case for inside it.

 

[Coffee]

I hate to go against my good friend Video Nasty on the main boards, but I’m taking Crosby 1st overall

 

[M88K]

Neither in the top 25

 

[Praetorian Caps]

Oh, I thought we were picking players to add to a current team, not the ones who overcame Crosby scoring a whopping 2 goals across 3 SCF wins. I’d rather take the player who scored more than that in their lone appearance. Not interested in having a supposed good luck talisman.

Quoted for truth.

 

[Walrus26]

I'm buying Ovi's goals alright. He gets clean goals, he gets deflections, he gets goals. Lots of goals. Goals win games. Top 5 pick for me.

But god do we need another C. Suzuki / Crosby one-two would be tasty, but there are other centres I'd take first whereas there aren't any wingers I'd take before Ovi for this one last dance.

 

[The Macho King]

Ovi being fed One Timers from Kucherov? Yes please.

 

[tabness]

Crosby been saving himself so much for playoffs year after year he doesn't even make them anymore