This article is part of our Frozen Fantasy series.
This week, Sidney Crosby became the 12th fastest NHLer to hit the 1,000-point mark. He did it in 757 games.
Congrats. It's about time.
Sid should have reached 1,000 long before now. But the 29-year-old has missed almost 200 games because of those concussions, that broken jaw and a silly lockout.
That's two-and-a-half seasons. Twenty percent of his bloody career. On the sidelines. In his prime. Wow.
Crosby has the fifth-best point-per-game average in history. He plays heavy, heavy hockey for a guy under 6 feet. He works like a dog in all three zones. He's dominant in the face-off circle and can play shutdown hockey with the league's best. And he's doing it in an era of low-scoring, super-restrictive hockey.
So, will he ever be in the best five of all time?
By 27, Bobby Orr had revolutionized the game and won eight straight Norris trophies. He lifted Lord Stanley twice. Wayne Gretzky had eight consecutive Hart trophies and four Cups by the same age. He had also scored 50 goals in 50 games three times, and then finished his career with 2,857 points – that's more than 900 points more than the mulleted dude in second. Gordie Howe? Try four Stanley Cups by 27 and six Hart trophies in a 12-year span.
Those accomplishments will never be repeated.
Super Mario Lemieux won two Cups, two Harts, four Art Ross and two Conn Smythe trophies before 27. He also scored 50-in-50. Perhaps most impressively, he defeated Hodgkin's Lymphoma, returning
This week, Sidney Crosby became the 12th fastest NHLer to hit the 1,000-point mark. He did it in 757 games.
Congrats. It's about time.
Sid should have reached 1,000 long before now. But the 29-year-old has missed almost 200 games because of those concussions, that broken jaw and a silly lockout.
That's two-and-a-half seasons. Twenty percent of his bloody career. On the sidelines. In his prime. Wow.
Crosby has the fifth-best point-per-game average in history. He plays heavy, heavy hockey for a guy under 6 feet. He works like a dog in all three zones. He's dominant in the face-off circle and can play shutdown hockey with the league's best. And he's doing it in an era of low-scoring, super-restrictive hockey.
So, will he ever be in the best five of all time?
By 27, Bobby Orr had revolutionized the game and won eight straight Norris trophies. He lifted Lord Stanley twice. Wayne Gretzky had eight consecutive Hart trophies and four Cups by the same age. He had also scored 50 goals in 50 games three times, and then finished his career with 2,857 points – that's more than 900 points more than the mulleted dude in second. Gordie Howe? Try four Stanley Cups by 27 and six Hart trophies in a 12-year span.
Those accomplishments will never be repeated.
Super Mario Lemieux won two Cups, two Harts, four Art Ross and two Conn Smythe trophies before 27. He also scored 50-in-50. Perhaps most impressively, he defeated Hodgkin's Lymphoma, returning in season to dominate. He now sits eighth on the all-time scoring list.
Maurice "Rocket" Richard had a Cup and had scored 50-in-50 by age 27. He ultimately won eight Cups and now has the sniper's trophy named after him.
If he stays healthy, Crosby can surely climb his way into the top-10 scorers of all time. He might even be able to top Super Mario's 1,723.
Era-to-era, it remains hard to compare players. And now critics are coining Connor McDavid the king of hockey. But the underappreciated Sid should someday be in that elite five. And who knows – he might even knock his owner off that list.
Now, let's look at who caught my eye this week.
Trevor Daley (11 percent Yahoo! owned) AND Brian Dumoulin, D, Pittsburgh (0 percent) - Six words: Olli Maatta; Justin Schultz; both hurt. Daley and Dumoulin will both be logging heavy, heavy minutes in the top four because of those injuries, at least until general manager Jim Rutherford pulls the trigger on a trade. And increased ice time means increased opportunity. Roll the dice. I did.
Aaron Dell, G, San Jose (5 percent) - Dell has been more than solid this season. He has a 6-3-1 record, 2.05 GAA and .930 save percentage in limited action and he has earned the respect of coach Pete DeBoer. DeBoer will want starter Martin Jones rested and ready for the postseason. And that means Dell should see an uptick in starts before the playoffs begin. Snag him and use him in daily formats.
Alexander Edler, D, Vancouver (4 percent) - Edler's overall numbers are abysmal. But the 30-year-old was once a 40-plus point defender and his offence has taken a huge uptick in the last 10 days. Edler has five points (one goal, four assists, two power-play points) in his last six games heading into weekend play. He's not a 40-point guy any more, but he's certainly scoring like one right now.
Martin Hanzal, C, Arizona (8 percent) - The big man has four goals in his last four games and eight points, including five snipes, in his last 10 games. Hanzal's name has been bounced around in trade rumors of late, most notably with les bleu, blanc et rouge. His value would go up large on a playoff-bound team in a big Canadian market. Get on board now, if only to trade him to the Habs fan in your league once the trigger is pulled on a deal.
Carter Hutton, G, St. Louis (15 percent) - Hutton has rung up two straight shutouts in the two games he's started since Mike Yeo took over behind the bench. Overall, the Blues have gone 7-1 since Ken Hitchcock was turfed. Jake Allen has been good, too (now there's something new). But Hutton's excellence may bring him more starts and that should be money in the bank for you.
Kevin Labanc, LW/RW, San Jose (1 percent) - This rookie hotshot was promoted to the Sharkies top line this week and he promptly put up a three-game, four-assist streak. Labanc can now add single-year value to his significant keeper worth. Pass him over at your peril – he's dishing to Big Joe Thornton and Little Joe Pavelski. His stock is way up.
Josh Leivo, LW/RW, Toronto (1 percent) - Leivo has been in Mike Babcock purgatory all season long – too good to lose on waivers, but not good enough for game action. Until about a week ago. Leivo is a strong north-south winger who just knows where to go on the ice. And that has resulted in a remarkable five points (one goal, four assists) in two games this week. Sure, this could be a showcase to set up a trade. But who cares – Leivo is smoking hot.
Jordan Martinook, LW/C, Arizona (1 percent) - Holy hot stuff. Martinook recorded his first career three-point game on Thursday night against – of all teams – the Kings. And that gave him six points, including three goals, in his last five games. Martinook is a tank on tiny steel edges and his junior sniping prowess has just been woken up. It won't last long – he's still a bottom-six guy. But a little confidence could boost his output in the short term.
Brady Skjei, D, NY Rangers (14 percent) - Skjei is a smooth skating defender with loads of skill, but he has always been better on the defensive side of the puck than the offensive one. That's not to say the guy doesn't have talent – he does (and lots). Skjei has quietly put up 27 points in 56 games. That's a near 40-point pace. And he has 10 points, including nine helpers, in his last 12 games. Check your wire – I found him lurking there. You might, too.
Back to Sid the Kid.
Crosby is playing his best hockey ever. But there's already a new kid on the block and there are already debates about who's king – Crosby or Connor McDavid. That debate isn't new. Before the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Wayne Gretzky dubbed McDavid the best young player he'd seen in 30 years.
Better than Crosby.
For all Sid's accomplishments, I think the 5-foot-11 fireplug will continue to be underappreciated – we are all guilty of focusing a little too much on the newest shiniest object, especially in fantasy and fandom.
I predict Crosby will someday be in the top five, but he'll continue to be seriously overshadowed by McDavid and the other shiny young toys arriving in today's NHL.
That's fine by me. He'll be cheaper at draft and just as good. Return on investment – it's a big part of what drives fantasy success. And wins.
Until next week.
