Top scorer of the 2003 draft class too.
My initial caveat was for Kiprusoff; he's probably the best player the Sharks have ever drafted, but the fact that he did it with another team complicates the analysis.
What do you consider peak?
What an incredible career. Pavs and Pickles are the first two up and coming prospects that I followed closely after I started to go to games regularly. Man, time flies. I hope he comes back to the org in some capacity some day.
I think Pavs gets his number retired. I think he's earned it. I also hope he comes to work for the team one day as well. I think he could make a really good coach if that's what he wants to do but I suspect that at least initially his first few years of retirement may be centered around his kid's development.
The argument probably goes that Pavelski was better defensively and played his best years in a slightly more difficult environment to score:
This is a pretty wild take. Kiprusoff didn’t become an NHL starter until the was 27. Don’t get me wrong, he had a good career once he got to that point with impressive durability, but it was essentially 9 seasons. Pavelski and Marleau both played 18+ seasons. I certainly appreciate what Kiprusoff did in his career but I don’t think he’s in the conversation for best Sharks draft pick ever.
This! 2013-2016 Pavelski has that AS nomination (albeit 2nd team), finished top-10 in goals all three years, top-10 in points twice, and was excellent defensively (I think by the advanced stats metrics he was the best player in the league in 2016, for what that is worth). That's stretching the definition of peak a little (3 years vs 1-2 years). But Marleau can't quite compare. He finished twice in top-10 in goals IIRC...he probably should have been on the all-star team in 2010, as a winger, but even then he ultimately didn't do it and I'll take the center over the winger.
It's a fair point. Kiprusoff's peak was amazing, and his prime was also excellent (better than the other two). He suffers from poor longevity, but I value peak and prime much more over career.
That’s fair, but that criteria also brings Vlasic into the conversation.
But when pavelski was having his best years he was not used as a center, he was a winger. Marleaus best years came as a center though.
Vlasic was great, but never close to the Norris, even at his peak or prime.
True, Pavelski was a winger by 2014, but wasn't Marleau a winger from 2010 onwards?
Yes year 1 of heatley in teal. But marleau's peak happened before that time, 2005-06 to 2009-10 (so 1 year of being a winger and with Thornton full time)
That’s not really fair, as the Norris has always been more about points than defensive acumen. Vlasic was easily one of the best defenseman in the NHL for a good amount of his prime, he just didn’t score enough to get awards.
