Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, and the 2004 NHL draft lottery

[Empoleon8771]

This is a great question and if they do draft Kane, what does a Malkin/Kane pairing look like up front or is it better to have the 1/2 punch of Malkin/Backstrom down the middle?

Kane was in 2007, not 2006.

 

[kerrabria]

People forget how much bad luck and mismanagement held back the Crosby/Malkin era Pens.

2007-08 - SCF Finals
2008-09 - SCF Champs
2009-10 - 2nd Round exit
2010-11 - Season ending injuries to both Sid and Geno
2011-12 - Goaltending disaster
2012-13 - 3rd Round exit
2013-14 - 2nd Round exit
2014-15 - Mike Johnston
2015-16 - SCF Champs
2016-17 - SCF Champs
2017-18 - 2nd Round exit
2018-19 - 1st Round exit
2019-Present - wheels fall off at the coaching/exec level

In the nine seasons where Crosby/Malkin were given a real chance, they won 20 playoff series. Hard to imagine better results. Is there a single person who would roll the dice with Crosby/Ovi instead?

 

[TheLegend27]

People forget how much bad luck and mismanagement held back the Crosby/Malkin era Pens.

2007-08 - SCF Finals
2008-09 - SCF Champs
2009-10 - 2nd Round exit
2010-11 - Season ending injuries to both Sid and Geno
2011-12 - Goaltending disaster
2012-13 - 3rd Round exit
2013-14 - 2nd Round exit
2014-15 - Mike Johnston
2015-16 - SCF Champs
2016-17 - SCF Champs
2017-18 - 2nd Round exit
2018-19 - 1st Round exit
2019-Present - wheels fall off at the coaching/exec level

In the nine seasons where Crosby/Malkin were given a real chance, they won 20 playoff series. Hard to imagine better results. Is there a single person who would roll the dice with Crosby/Ovi instead?

Mike Johnston without any more explanation needed is so hilarious to me .

To be fair he did make the players defensively responsible which sticked with them after he left.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Kane was in 2007, not 2006.

Ah, good catch. I guess the Caps draft position might have been different in 2006 and 2007 since Malkin came to North America a year later than Ovechkin.

Still, my main point is that the Caps would’ve had to pick a secondary piece to complete their core with Malkin, which is less obvious to me than the Ovechkin/Backstrom pairing they ended up getting.

 

[Grifter3511]

I think Pittsburgh wins more cups with Malkin Crosby than Ovy Crosby

I agree. I'll always value 1C and 2C over a 1C and 1W in a championship building hierarchy.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I agree. I'll always value 1C and 2C over a 1C and 1W in a championship building hierarchy.

Especially when your team's 2nd best center is the undisputed 2nd best center in the league lol.

 

[kerrabria]

Mike Johnston without any more explanation needed is so hilarious to me .

To be fair he did make the players defensively responsible which sticked with them after he left.

The only guys from 2014-15 who were still lineup regulars during the 2016 playoffs were Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Hornqvist, Kunitz, Cole, and Maatta.

MJ didn’t teach the first four anything, he wouldn’t have even been able to teach Kunitz, and he almost ruined Cole, so I guess we can thank him for Olli Maatta’s service as an underwhelming 4D.