Losing in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 were huge stains. He wasn’t good enough in 2008-2009 or 2009-2010 either. If he collects even one from each of those pieces of bread, this is an entirely different discussion because I would give him every benefit of the doubt at that point. He wasn’t good enough.
Okay let's break down some of this BS here shall we starting on 08-09
finished 3rd in scoring with 103 points in 77 games, Malkin was first with 113 points in 82 games.
Top 3 PPG breaks down like this
1.39 (Ovi)
1.38 (Malkin)
1.34 (Crosby)
Huge stain there, surprised the Pens even kept him for the next season.
09-10 finishes 3rd (3 points out of first place) again and tied for goals.
Yet again another huge stain.
14-15 Finishes 3rd place with 84 points in 77 GP, leads NHL in PPG
15-16 3rd in points again 4 points out of second place, another huge stain.
So if he is healthy and plays in all those games and a little luck he suddenly is exponentially better because he wins an Extra art Ross or 2 or 3 but instead you are calling this a stain?
It's kind of ironic that he was the captain and driving the bus, or in the front seat if you want for 2 SC's in those years and a SC final against a dynasty Detroit team.
What you call 4 seasons of stain is the bedrock for an average HHOF resume that's how ridiculous your narrow viewpoint looks.
He is in a tier above Crosby right now. It’s a new tier that’s below the Big Four and above Crosby and the pack of eight or so players in contention for what is now the #6 spot.
If you say so it must be true right?
there aren't 8 players in contention for 6th spot (or 5th spot if you remove McDavid from the equation Crosby has the best case for 5th)
If it’s pretty close and one guy has 3 Cups when the other has zero, how one sided is it going to get when he wins?
Most of the people that have crosby ahead fully expect McDavid to be tracking to pass Crosby but he is only 9 seasons in and Crosby has 19 seasons of elite level of play going here.
Gretzky didn't pass Orr or Howe in 1983 so pump the breaks a bit or the "shoulda, woulda, coulda" entourage that you are part of will call you out for making stuff up....wait that doesn't get applied equally thus 1 million pages in this thread and 99.9% of one posters life the past 2 or 3 weeks around here.