46 replies to this topic

[Dabura]

Gretzky sez:

 

My favorite player over the last 10 years has been [Henrik] Zetterberg. I think Zetterberg is the best player in the game [at his age]. He's been so physically beat up from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Olympics, all that goes with that, but he's just very special. I think he's the best Swedish player they've ever put into the National Hockey League, and there has been a lot of great ones, from [Borje] Salming to [Nicklas] Lidstrom.

 

I've gotta think this has already been reported here...?

[Euro_Twins]

don't care. he was a great hockey player, but you can't take anything he says about hockey seriously anymore

[Dabura]

don't care. he was a great hockey player, but you can't take anything he says about hockey seriously anymore

 

Sounds like someone wasn't invited to Wayne Gretzky's Fantasy Camp.

[shoobiedoobin]

don't care. he was a great hockey player, but you can't take anything he says about hockey seriously anymore

What's funny is out of the 99% of pro athletes who opine post-retirement, we take all of them seriously and anyone who questions them is a fool for questioning an ex-pro player. You just can't. They, y'know, played the game! It just sounds crazy to us for them to not know.

 

But the one time I see a guy questioned is here, and he's one of the few guys I'd listen to. His mind for the game is what carried him mostly. He flunked in Phoenix but that doesn't take away from that.

Edited by shoobiedoobin, 31 January 2013 - 07:34 PM.

[Euro_Twins]

What's funny is out of the 99% of pro athletes who opine post-retirement, we take all of them seriously and anyone who questions them is a fool for questioning an ex-pro player. You just can't. They, y'know, played the game! It just sounds crazy to us for them to not know.

 

But the one time I see a guy questioned is here, and he's one of the few guys I'd listen to. His mind for the game is what carried him mostly. He flunked in Phoenix but that doesn't take away from that.

 

LOL I meant cause he put Z over Lids as the best swede of all time, not cause he has no knowledge of the game, he obviously knows enough to get by in a hockey conversation

[evilzyme]

Dude says a different player is the "best in the world" every day. In the same article, like seconds after he had said that Zetterberg was the best, he said Crosby is hands down the best player. I respect him for who he was, and what not, but you seriously can't take ANYTHING this man says seriously, take it with a grain of salt. I love me some Zetty, but to consider him the best player hands down in this league is silly.

"I think [Sidney] Crosby is the best player and he's just really fun to watch. I really enjoy watching [Steven] Stamkos. I think Stamkos is a really special young man. He's really fun to watch and exciting.

 

"My favorite player over the last 10 years has been [Henrik] Zetterberg. I think Zetterberg is the best player in the game [at his age]. He's been so physically beat up from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Olympics, all that goes with that, but he's just very special. I think he's the best Swedish player they've ever put into the National Hockey League, and there has been a lot of great ones, from [Borje] Salming to [Nicklas] Lidstrom.

 

"The guy that I'm a little biased about, but the guy I think has hockey sense to only Crosby and [Brad] Richards in New York is Kyle Turris. His hockey awareness and hockey sense is close to those two guys, and I consider them to have the best hockey sense in the game today. He's going to fit into that category soon."

 

So, Crosby is the best player but Zetterberg is the best for his age.... 

[irishock]

Gretzky is bulls***ting when he says Zetterberg is the best swede of all time, but the great one is real classy.

Dude says a different player is the "best in the world" every day. In the same article, like seconds after he had said that Zetterberg was the best, he said Crosby is hands down the best player. I respect him for who he was, and what not, but you seriously can't take ANYTHING this man says seriously, take it with a grain of salt. I love me some Zetty, but to consider him the best player hands down in this league is silly.

 

So, Crosby is the best player but Zetterberg is the best for his age.... 

 

Crosby= best today

Zetterberg= best for a 32 year old

 

 

But even then he's still BSing. Z is barely in the top 10 for players over 32.

-Datsyuk, Hossa, Chara, Thornton, Marleau, St. Louis, Sedin, Sedin, and then Elias and Zetterberg are the last two.

Edited by irishock, 31 January 2013 - 07:58 PM.

[Euro_Twins]

Gretzky is bulls***ting when he says Zetterberg is the best swede of all time, but the great one is real classy.

 

Crosby= best today

Zetterberg= best for a 32 year old

 

best bench warmer making 9 mill a year for having concussion symptoms

[irishock]

lol I know but still the best in the game when healthy. No one should be making anywhere near 8mil when Sids making 8.7.

[Euro_Twins]

lol I know but still the best in the game when healthy. No one should be making anywhere near 8mil when Sids making 8.7.

 

How bout malkin, stamkos, or giroux?

[Dabura]

Disney Crysob

[irishock]

How bout malkin, stamkos, or giroux?

 

1-1.5 mil under what Crosby's making. All 3 had ridiculously good years but still not comparable to a 100% not concussed Crosby. Plus Sid's better defensively than any of them

[Euro_Twins]

1-1.5 mil under what Crosby's making. All 3 had ridiculously good years but still not comparable to a 100% not concussed Crosby. Plus Sid's better defensively than any of them

 

Malkin has scored 100+ points 3 times in 5 1/2 seasons

Stamkos has had 90+ points in the past 3 years, he's only played 4 seasons

Giroux, I can agree with you he had a ridiculously good season, but common stamkos and malkin have been consistently as good as crosby.

Ovechkin also (last year aside) has been just as good as Crosby also

 

Please don't hope on the proverbial crosby train when there are other stars who are just as good as him, it's embarassing to other wings fans

[lacrossekid2]

Datsyuk is a better player IMO, no disrepect to Z but there's a reason TSN listed Datsyuk as the #5 player in the game

[irishock]

Malkin has scored 100+ points 3 times in 5 1/2 seasons

Stamkos has had 90+ points in the past 3 years, he's only played 4 seasons

Giroux, I can agree with you he had a ridiculously good season, but common stamkos and malkin have been consistently as good as crosby.

Ovechkin also (last year aside) has been just as good as Crosby also

 

Please don't hope on the proverbial crosby train when there are other stars who are just as good as him, it's embarassing to other wings fans

 

Crosby has the highest points per game of any active player. He could easily have had 100+ pts for every single season of his career if he had the durability. I'm not hopping on the proverbial Crosby train, but I'm also not hopping on the all things-Crosby hate train. He's by far the best player in the game when healthy and unless you're a Philly fan there's no denial.

Edited by irishock, 31 January 2013 - 08:32 PM.

[Adidarw]

I like how everybody here has different opinions on who the best players are.  Just like Wayne Gretzky has an opinion. :thumbsup:

[Euro_Twins]

Crosby has the highest points per game of any active player. He could easily have had 100+ pts for every single season of his career if he had the durability. I'm not hopping on the proverbial Crosby train, but I'm also not hopping on the all things-Crosby hate train. He's by far the best player in the game when healthy and unless you're a Philly fan there's no denial.

 

Actually there is denial, I am not preaching that datsyuk or zetterberg are better than him I am saying there are others who are just as good. Malkin is .13 ppg difference from him and Ove is .1 ppg difference if you don't include last year, if you do he is still .15 difference. if .1 - .15 ppg is the difference between 8.7 and 7.2 million to you, there is something wrong

[irishock]

Actually there is denial, I am not preaching that datsyuk or zetterberg are better than him I am saying there are others who are just as good. Malkin is .13 ppg difference from him and Ove is .1 ppg difference if you don't include last year, if you do he is still .15 difference. if .1 - .15 ppg is the difference between 8.7 and 7.2 million to you, there is something wrong

 

Neither one of em are better defensively than Sid. I'd say in 10 years, Sid can easily be a multiple time Selke winner when he's not as good offensively anymore.

[Euro_Twins]

Neither one of em are better defensively than Sid. I'd say in 10 years, Sid can easily be a multiple time Selke winner when he's not as good offensively anymore.

 

05-06 ove-106 points crosby-102 points

06-07 ove-92 points crosby-120 points

07-08 ove-112 points crosby-72 points (53 games, but ppg was the same for the year) malkin 106 points

08-09 ove-110 points crosby-103 points malkin-113 points

09-10 ove-109 points crosby-109 points (ove played 9 less games though)

 

ya cosby is sooooo much better

 

Edit: ove +78/career crosby +81/career

yes +/- isn't always accurate but that is pretty close if you ask me, and ove doesn't  have nearly as good a team around him as crosby does

Edited by Euro_Twins, 31 January 2013 - 09:11 PM.

[GMRwings1983]

Malkin has scored 100+ points 3 times in 5 1/2 seasons

Stamkos has had 90+ points in the past 3 years, he's only played 4 seasons

Giroux, I can agree with you he had a ridiculously good season, but common stamkos and malkin have been consistently as good as crosby.

Ovechkin also (last year aside) has been just as good as Crosby also

 

Please don't hope on the proverbial crosby train when there are other stars who are just as good as him, it's embarassing to other wings fans

 

If Crosby plays a full season, he puts up much higher numbers than all those guys.  He was on a feverish pace a few years ago before his injury.  There is nobody better than him when healthy.  

 

As for the topic, I'm not sure I'd put Hank on the top five Swedes of all time at this point in his career.  And there are many 32 year olds better than him in the NHL currently.  

 

Maybe Gretzky was just being nice.  

Edited by GMRwings1983, 31 January 2013 - 09:54 PM.