What years were Crosby's prime?

[daver]

I would say these dozen or so years where he was consistently in the top 10 when he played enough games. Between the injuries, low scoring eras, awful wingers… he could have really stacked up scoring titles.

Crosby's strength was being able to produce regardless of the strength of his wingers. The team would have sacrificed something if they had to tried to get a star winger for him or paired him up with Malkin like the Oilers do with McDrai. It's forgotten that the 2016 Pens were one of the strongest Cup winners since 2005 when they were able to split up their three best forwards over three lines.

He was as good, or even better in the 2009 playoffs without Hossa on his wing.

Better luck and better timing with injuries kept him from winning more scoring titles. If he plays just 40 or 50 more games at key times in his career, he has 2 to 3 more Rosses and 2to 3 Harts/Lindsays.

 

[daver]

Prime : 2006-07 to 2016-17

Peak : 2010-11 to 2012-13

Absolute peak : 2010-11

That being said, he’s probably the only player in history who has played near his prime level for his entire career

Gordie Howe set the standard for this. Bourque as a d-man is close. Beliveau was elite well into his late 30s but missed seasons in his early 20s.

He certainly should be adding to his all-time legacy by staying in the Top 10 player discussion for 20 years.

 

[Video Nasty]

Oh for sure.

He was on pace for 132pts in 2010-2011.
Probably would hit 130 again in 2011-2012

Was on pace for 120+ in 2013. Add 64pts to his total that season.


That’s 326pts right there based off the top of my head and some rough estimates.

Your numbers are way off. If we generously project him to do what he never did once—maintain an elevated PPG in one half over another within the same season—we’re looking at an extra 178 points in those three years. You appear to have given him 262 extra points for 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, while projecting him out over the course of a full 82 game season rather than the reality based lockout season of 48 games.

 

[dr robbie]

Sidney Consistency

 

[TheGuiminator]

Gordie Howe set the standard for this. Bourque as a d-man is close. Beliveau was elite well into his late 30s but missed seasons in his early 20s.

He certainly should be adding to his all-time legacy by staying in the Top 10 player discussion for 20 years.

Not really, Howe didn’t play close to his prime level for his entire career. Just look at his first few years

Crosby did however, and not only that, he never dipped below a point per game for 20 consecutive years, in a better league too.

He is the new standard now

 

[daver]

Not really, Howe didn’t play close to his prime level for his entire career. Just look at his first few years

Crosby did however, and not only that, he never dipped below a point per game for 20 consecutive years, in a better league too.

He is the new standard now

I see what you are saying. That's a pretty big statement given however long it took Howe to get to his prime, he reached a higher level (at least statistically) than Crosby and stayed at that level for 20 years with no need for context like missed games.

18 year olds in the '40s simply didn't get the icetime that Mario, Wayne, Crosby and McDavid got at age 18. Howe was 4th in PPG at age 20 and made some noise in the playoffs. He was 3rd in points and in PPG the next year. He was in his prime for 22 years.

 

[Satoru Gojo]

2009-2016