One of the most annoying debates on hockey threads these days is: 'Who was the best player of all time?' The reason it's so annoying is the blatant Homerisms used by the fans in order to claim that their hero is the best. Like, 'Lemieux was better than Gretzky, because Gretzky had Mark Messier. Who did Lemieux have?' Jaromir Jagr, anyone? Sure, Jagr came later in Lemieux's career, but even when Lemieux had Jagr, he was regularly getting outscored by Gretzky. There's only one way to fairly make this argument. It's time to look at numbers.
Goals, Assists, Points: The Great One, The Great One, The Great One. 894 goals, 1,963 assists, 2,857 points. All NHL records. In fact, Gretzky had more assists than Lemieux had total points (1,723). That statement alone is pretty damaging to Lemieux's case. Of course, this is exactly the point where Mario's supporters get angry and say, 'Gretzky played more games! Of course he scored more points!' True, Mario only played 915 NHL games because of injury while Gretzky played 1,487.
Points per Game: Guess what... Gretzky! Lemieux supporters swear up and down that Mario averaged over 2 points per game for his career and Gretzky didn't. Well, they're half right. Gretzky did NOT average 2 points per game. Then again, neither did Lemieux. Mario's 1.88 points per game is amazing, but not quite as amazing as Gretzky's 1.92. So even if Mario Lemieux had played as many games as Gretzky, he would not have had the same point totals. Then comes, 'Um, hello? Cancer!?' True, Lemieux battled cancer and still played.
Durability: Mario Lemieux. With all his back troubles and cancer, the fact that he was still tops in the league year after year shows just how awesome he was. However, you still have to look at the points per games played and Gretzky edged him out, anyways.
Records: I'm not going to list every record Gretzky owns, because it's too many. However, the main ones, most goals, assists and points ever and most goals, assists and points in one season all belong to Gretzky. He had four seasons where he scored over 200 points. Lemieux had none.
It seems clear to me that, unless you're just a blind Lemieux homer, Wayne Gretzky was the best hockey player of all time. By far. But what about the best player now? Well, let's take a look:
While no one agrees on the actual best player, most agree on the finalists: Sidney Crosby, Pavel Datsyuk, Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin. Of course, Pavel is the oldest so everyone will say that in the end, the other three will over take him in total points and accomplishments. Very possible. However, we're determining the best player NOW. So let's take a look at the different stats that will tell us who the best player is:
Goals, Assists, Points: Ovie, Malkin, Malkin. Surely, Ovechkin is the better goal scorer of the four, and Malkin is a better passer, but he also has better teammates to pass to. Then again, Ovie plays Left Wing. Wingers are not typically setup guys. They shoot. He shoots a lot, actually. Of the 4, Ovechkin has the lowest shooting percentage at 10.6%. Crosby has the highest at 13.9% and Datsyuk was second at 12.9%. Sadly, Pavel's shooting percentage doesn't get mentioned because by this point, the fact that he had the fewest total points between the 4, he tends to be left out of the discussion. I recently read an article written by a Flyers fan who was trying to make the same case that I am now. He had an interesting stat that goes along the lines of the points per game we used to decide the best player ever. TOI (Time On Ice). He writes:
Ovechkin lead all NHL forwards with an average ice time of 23 minutes per game.
Malkin was second in this category with 22:31 minutes per game.
Crosby ranked third in the league with 21:56 minutes per game.
Pavel Datsyuk ranked 46th in the league amongst forwards at 19:12 minutes per game. In fact, teammate Henrik Zetterberg ranked higher at 32nd in the league with an average of 19:52 minutes per game.
What all this means is, if Datsyuk were to see the same amount of TOI that Malkin had, his points would likely go from 97 to 111 based on his points per game. That would move him from 4th to 2nd in total points. If he played the same minutes as Ovechkin, it would be even higher. I hate to use "what if's", though, so let's take a look at their defensive abilities. Since it's a big patch of ice, I think it matters who is better by his own net.
Now, I have actually had to explain +/- to a few Penguins fans before, even though they claimed to be huge hockey fans way before Crosby and Malkin ever came into the league. Just in case there's someone out there that is unfamiliar with the stat, it's meant to show how often a player is on the ice when scored against vs how often they are on the ice when they score. Power Play goals don't count, but shorthanded goals do. Crosby was +3, which means that when he is on the ice at even strength, the apposing team is just as likely to score as his team is. Ovechkin was +8 so not much better. Malkin is the better 2-way forward between him and Crosby at +17, but Pavel Datsyuk takes the cake at +34. When he's on the ice, he can shutdown your best player and still be a threat to score.
Finally, a lot of people dislike that Datsyuk keeps winning the Lady Byng Trophy for 'gentlemanly play'. This doesn't mean he isn't physical, it just means he doesn't commit penalties as often as most players. He only had 22 penalty minutes (while playing defensively against his opponents best player), while the next lowest of the four finalists was Ovechkin with 72.
There is no doubt that Pavel Datsyuk is the best hockey player in the world right now. Think of it this way: A student gets an A+ in math, but a C in Science, C- in English and a D in History. Another student gets an A- in all his classes. Who's the better student?
Monday, July 6, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Konstantinov
Just wanted to put this video of Vlady up so that anyone who wasn't up to date on his status would know.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Red Wings Signing Update and Free Agent Tracker
Mikael Samuelsson signed with the Vancouver Canucks for $7.5 million over 3 years, today. He was really streaky and prone to turn the puck over. The only thing he added, other than depth, was his right-handed shot on the power play. If he was a lefty, he wouldn't have been anywhere near the power play. Then again, I can remember him scoring a few big goals. However, Detroit doesn't spend 2.5 a year for a few big goals. Good luck to him in Vancouver. Now I'll be interested in seeing if the Wings go with two lefties on the point with their second power play unit, or do they try to sign someone just for that purpose? I'm guessing two lefties. That will cripple the power play somewhat, but nothing severe.
Sammy's signing in Vancouver also gives the Red Wings just that much more cap space to sign Hudler, who was the higher priority anyways, in my opinion. Hudler could very well become a 30 goal scorer even though he plays on the third line.
Here's a Free Agent Tracker from ESPN. Quite handy.
http://espn.go.com/nhl/freeagents/_/oldteam/det
Sammy's signing in Vancouver also gives the Red Wings just that much more cap space to sign Hudler, who was the higher priority anyways, in my opinion. Hudler could very well become a 30 goal scorer even though he plays on the third line.
Here's a Free Agent Tracker from ESPN. Quite handy.
http://espn.go.com/nhl/freeagents/_/oldteam/det
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Minor League Jerseys Gone Wrong
Everyone loves going to see their local minor league hockey team. If they only care to see a good fight, even someone who does not know the rules of the game can enjoy the minors. The tickets are cheap and you can get a pop and a hot dog for under $5. However, team owners need to make money somehow and since they usually don't have huge TV contracts and big name sponsors, they get creative with their marketing. One of the ways they do this is having the team play a game or two in a special jersey that they then auction off to the highest bidder. Some jerseys are just a subtle change in design or an alternate logo on the chest. Others... well, you'll see.
Disco Night! WooHoo! I don't know who this team is, but I'm sure I could find out. However, out of respect for the brave souls that had to wear this in front of thousands of people, I'll try to keep it a secret.
Shiver me timbers! These be the worst uniforms I be seein in a sea turtles age! This guy looks like he's thinking, "Aaaaar... Where be me agent? I'll be cuttin him down for this and be sendin him to Davy Jones' Locker. Aaar..." Poor team. They will always remember this as the day they ALMOST looked cool during a hockey game.
This one is great. It's not everyday you see the players out-dress the coach. Complete with boutineer and all.
Amazingly, this is NOT the third jersey of the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Ha ha ha. Western Night with the Quad City Mallards. How humiliating. I wish I could have seen the looks on their faces when they were handed these abominations and told, "Hey, they're not that bad..." Just so you know, if you have to say "It's not that bad..." it IS.
Disco Night! WooHoo! I don't know who this team is, but I'm sure I could find out. However, out of respect for the brave souls that had to wear this in front of thousands of people, I'll try to keep it a secret.
Shiver me timbers! These be the worst uniforms I be seein in a sea turtles age! This guy looks like he's thinking, "Aaaaar... Where be me agent? I'll be cuttin him down for this and be sendin him to Davy Jones' Locker. Aaar..." Poor team. They will always remember this as the day they ALMOST looked cool during a hockey game.
This one is great. It's not everyday you see the players out-dress the coach. Complete with boutineer and all.
Amazingly, this is NOT the third jersey of the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Ha ha ha. Western Night with the Quad City Mallards. How humiliating. I wish I could have seen the looks on their faces when they were handed these abominations and told, "Hey, they're not that bad..." Just so you know, if you have to say "It's not that bad..." it IS.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Free Agency has begun!
Sad day for the Red Wings? Depends on who you ask. I personally think we can win without Hossa, since we did a year ago. Then again, I don't like the idea of a division rival (Blackhawks) getting stronger. I just hope that his contract causes Chicago to have to lose depth. In the end, I have no hard feelings towards Hossa. He was a lot of fun to watch for the year that we had him. Even he said "If there wasn't a salary cap, I would still be in Detroit." I assumed this would happen after we signed Franzen and the cap only increased by $100k. Hey, if the Wings don't win, I have no problem rooting for him, but I hope he finishes second best every year. Should be a lot of fun reading all the "Red Wings are done" articles since we lost a player we have proven we don't really need.
Of course the Wings would have been better with him than without him, but let's take a quick look at the two teams that I think are the biggest losers so far: The Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers. These two teams have been in a heated battle all day long to see who can spend their way into mediocrity the fastest. This has been the Rangers cup of tea for years and yesterday it seemed that they had seen the error of their ways when they actually found someone to take Scott Gomez off their hands. That someone was the Montreal Canadiens. Gomez was making $7.5 million a year but only scored 16 goals and 42 assists in 77 games. Montreal saw those numbers, saw that salary and said, "I'll take it!" Then New York made the next move. They signed Marian Gaborik from the Minnesota Wild for 5 years at $37.5 million. That's $7.5 million a year. The same 7.5 million that they just freed up by unloading G
omez. But what's wrong with Gaborik? Injuries. He has played 502 games in his 8 years, which means he misses an average of 20 games a year. He only played 17 last year. He's as injury prone as Eric Lindros, who almost died in the shower of his hotel once. Come to think of it, guess who he signed with a couple years after that... the New York Rangers! Still, Gaborik's numbers are amazing when he's healthy. The issue is, there was another Right Wing available with less risk. Marian Hossa. I have no doubts that New York tried to get their meat-hooks on Hossa, but Hossa wants to win and that won't happen in New York. That's the Ranger's own fault. They have the fan base and the revenue, but their front office is run by chimps. Before the 2005 lockout, it was common to pay too much for talent because there was no salary cap. You could just buy more. Now that there's a limit to how much you can pay your players, every dollar must count and that's why I think the Rangers and Canadiens are falling apart. They buy big names and get small returns. New York picked up Donald Brashear,
but at less than $1 million a year, it doesn't matter since he's just an enforcer. Montreal was not to be outdone by New York's gamble and their enforcer. They added Michael Cammalleri from the Calgary Flames for $6 million a year for 5 years, although this actually makes sense since he scored 39 goals 43 assists for 82 points. Just don't expect him to play in his own end since he was -2 last year and -30 for his career. Then they signed Brian Gionta. Remember him? He scored 48 goals once! Not anymore. He racked up 20 this year along with a respectable 40 assists for 60 points and was a +12. He'll be getting $5 million a year for 5 years. Montreal still wasn't done. They also added D-man Jaroslav Spacek for 3 years at $3.8 million a year. Spacek put up respectable numbers for a defenseman on a losing team, but 3.8 a year seems high to me. If Detroit were to request his services, I would 
expect him to make under 3, but hey, what do I know. Finally, Montreal took the untakable. They signed the unsignable, bought, the unbuyable. The Montreal Canadiens are now the proud owners of their very own Hal Gill. With a salary of $4.5 Million over two years, he is not meant to score goals and he doesn't. He is a Defensive Defenseman. At 6' 7" his greatest strength is his long reach. His greatest weakness is everything else. It is for this reason that the Montreal Canadiens have been awarded the 2009 Twig's Worst of July 1st Award! This less than prestigious award is given to the team that appears to fail the hardest by paying too much for too little.
Of course the Wings would have been better with him than without him, but let's take a quick look at the two teams that I think are the biggest losers so far: The Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers. These two teams have been in a heated battle all day long to see who can spend their way into mediocrity the fastest. This has been the Rangers cup of tea for years and yesterday it seemed that they had seen the error of their ways when they actually found someone to take Scott Gomez off their hands. That someone was the Montreal Canadiens. Gomez was making $7.5 million a year but only scored 16 goals and 42 assists in 77 games. Montreal saw those numbers, saw that salary and said, "I'll take it!" Then New York made the next move. They signed Marian Gaborik from the Minnesota Wild for 5 years at $37.5 million. That's $7.5 million a year. The same 7.5 million that they just freed up by unloading G
omez. But what's wrong with Gaborik? Injuries. He has played 502 games in his 8 years, which means he misses an average of 20 games a year. He only played 17 last year. He's as injury prone as Eric Lindros, who almost died in the shower of his hotel once. Come to think of it, guess who he signed with a couple years after that... the New York Rangers! Still, Gaborik's numbers are amazing when he's healthy. The issue is, there was another Right Wing available with less risk. Marian Hossa. I have no doubts that New York tried to get their meat-hooks on Hossa, but Hossa wants to win and that won't happen in New York. That's the Ranger's own fault. They have the fan base and the revenue, but their front office is run by chimps. Before the 2005 lockout, it was common to pay too much for talent because there was no salary cap. You could just buy more. Now that there's a limit to how much you can pay your players, every dollar must count and that's why I think the Rangers and Canadiens are falling apart. They buy big names and get small returns. New York picked up Donald Brashear,
but at less than $1 million a year, it doesn't matter since he's just an enforcer. Montreal was not to be outdone by New York's gamble and their enforcer. They added Michael Cammalleri from the Calgary Flames for $6 million a year for 5 years, although this actually makes sense since he scored 39 goals 43 assists for 82 points. Just don't expect him to play in his own end since he was -2 last year and -30 for his career. Then they signed Brian Gionta. Remember him? He scored 48 goals once! Not anymore. He racked up 20 this year along with a respectable 40 assists for 60 points and was a +12. He'll be getting $5 million a year for 5 years. Montreal still wasn't done. They also added D-man Jaroslav Spacek for 3 years at $3.8 million a year. Spacek put up respectable numbers for a defenseman on a losing team, but 3.8 a year seems high to me. If Detroit were to request his services, I would 
expect him to make under 3, but hey, what do I know. Finally, Montreal took the untakable. They signed the unsignable, bought, the unbuyable. The Montreal Canadiens are now the proud owners of their very own Hal Gill. With a salary of $4.5 Million over two years, he is not meant to score goals and he doesn't. He is a Defensive Defenseman. At 6' 7" his greatest strength is his long reach. His greatest weakness is everything else. It is for this reason that the Montreal Canadiens have been awarded the 2009 Twig's Worst of July 1st Award! This less than prestigious award is given to the team that appears to fail the hardest by paying too much for too little.
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