Sidney Crosby was the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NHL draft, and the expectations on him were huge. He was meant to save the franchise, just like Mario Lemieux did in the 80s.
And although the expectations were sky-high, Crosby managed to succeed them all. Today, Crosby is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players ever. And he’s not even close to calling it a career.
The Penguins are giving their golden generation, especially Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, one more shot at another Stanley Cup. They’ve added Erik Karlsson to an already talented roster in one of the biggest trades this summer.
For Sidney Crosby, another Stanley Cup to the collection would mean he has four of them, and add to that two Art Ross trophies, three Ted Lindsay’s, two Rocket Richard trophies, and two Conn Smythe’s.
Sidney Crosby has also had great success with Team Canada. He’s a natural-born leader, and in 2007, he became the then-youngest captain ever in the NHL. Over the years, Sidney Crosby has played some of the best players in NHL history. But in the incredible list of every player he faced, one stands out from the rest.
When appearing on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, Crosby was asked who, out of every legend he’s played, is the best defenseman, and he didn’t hesitate for one second.
”Nicklas Lidstrom, without a doubt,” said Crosby.
Nicklas Lidstrom had already played for 13 seasons in the NHL when Sidney Crosby made his league debut. However, they played in the league simultaneously for seven years.
During his long-lasting career, Nick Lidstrom won seven Norris Trophies, and he’s often considered as a top-three defenseman of all time.
