Sidney Crosby is perhaps not the best player in the NHL anymore. Young players like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Nathan MacKinnon are scoring more goals and points than the Pittsburgh Penguins veteran, and it’s been three years since Sid the Kid last won an individual award.
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During his career, Crosby has won three Stanley Cups and is a two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner. Crosby still scores more points than games played comfortably every season, but he’s just had two seasons with over 100 points scored in the last nine seasons.
Undoubtedly, he’s still one of the world’s best players, but you could argue that he’s not in the top three anymore. But there’s one list he outshines all of his rivals.
According to a survey done by Morning Consult, Sidney Crosby is by far the most popular player in the NHL. The survey was ordered ahead of Friday’s NHL opening season game, and 49% of NHL Fans answered that they have” very favorable” or” somewhat favorable” opinions of Crosby.
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With that, he’s eight percentage points ahead of second place. On second is a four-way tie between Joe Thornton, a free agent at the moment, Chicago Blackhawks players Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, and Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-André Fleury.
Perhaps most notable is that star players like Auston Matthews, Leon Draisaitl, and Nathan MacKinnon are not even mentioned on the top-24 list. Connor McDavid-by many considered the best player in the world-ranks 21st. Most of the players in the top have played in the NHL for a long time, but Matthew Tkachuk ranks 12th on the list, and young Toronto Maple Leafs player Mitch Marner grabs a place in the top 10.
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