The Hockey News: Brian Costello's blog: THN.com Blog: Enjoy Crosby’s and Ovechkin’s numbers while we can

THN.com Blog: Enjoy Crosby’s and Ovechkin’s numbers while we can

Alex Ovechkin has five goals and 10 points in five games this season. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/NHLI via Getty Images)

Brian Costello
2009-10-11 09:10:00

As much as we think the wizardry of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin will be with us for the next 10 to 15 years, chances are their otherworldly scoring exploits are at a peak now and will trend downwards in the coming seasons.

At 22 and 24, Crosby and Ovechkin are sure to be the cream of the league for the next decade. There’s little question of that. But in terms of over-the-top scoring totals, they’re in their prime right now. Thing is, however, their “prime” is such a narrow range, if history is to be a barometer.

I remember watching Wayne Gretzky the season he scored 92 goals and 212 points. He was 21. I thought for sure we’d see a 100-goal or 250-point season in him by the time he peaked in his late 20s. The Great One did have three more 200-point seasons (and one with 87 goals), but by the time he was 26, the stratospheric totals were in his past. Sure, he has some terrific years well into his 30s, but the early 20s were his scoring peak.

Mario Lemieux had his touchstone 85-goal, 199-point season at age 23. His second most prolific year was when he was 22. Lemieux also had boffo 69-goal, 160- and 161-point seasons at 27 and 30, but again, his early 20s were the most productive.

Bobby Orr’s three most prolific seasons were at age 23, 26 and 27.

It’s not a hard and fast rule that players hit their offensive peak in their early 20s, but for many players who reach “superstar” status, those halcyon years come in and around the age of 24. The first few pro seasons are growth years, the seasons afterwards are still exceptional, just not extraordinary.

Related Links

Guy Lafleur had six straight glorious years when he was on top of the world. They were between the ages 23 and 28. Jaromir Jagr’s most offensive year (62 goals, 149 points) came at age 23. Mike Bossy was a consistent 50-goal scorer his entire career, yet his most productive (147 points) came at age 24. Brett Hull’s hallmark season of 86 goals and 131 points came when he was 26 in his fourth NHL season.

Hard to believe as it is, Crosby and Ovechkin are in their fifth seasons already. Funny, but I thought Crosby would be a bigger producer than he is. I thought 50 goals and 140 points would be in his resume by now. He hasn’t even come close, really. At 22, he has to make it happen soon.

Ovechkin is making it happen. Sixty-five goals at 22, another 56 last season. Now at 24, he’s on pace for the best season of his career. Let’s enjoy it now while we can. It won’t last a whole lot longer.

Brian Costello is The Hockey News’s senior special editions editor and a regular contributor to THN.com. You can find his blog each weekend.

For more great profiles, news and views from the world of hockey, subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.

COMMENTS (15)

Sort: Oldest | Newest Filter: All | Videos

cujo30 Posted
(2009-11-20 11:22:28)

croby isnt even averaging a point a game this year is he overrated

singollo Posted
(2009-10-12 10:27:38)

Interesting article. It's strange how often we classify a hockey player's "prime" as around 27-31, but when you look at the numbers of the truly extraordinary talents, they generally have their best years around 23-25. Doesn't necessarily mean Crosby and Ovechkin have to follow this arc, but it is interesting. One note however: it should be remembered that the season Costello noted above for Lemieux at age 27 when he netted 69 goals and 160 points was achieved in only 60 games: his Hodgkin's disease year. Before missing a quarter of the season to undergo radiation therapy, he was on pace to break Gretzky's goals and points marks. Granted he most likely would have missed out on the records anyway, since he undoubtedly would have missed some time even if cancer hadn't struck, but if he'd managed to play around 70-75 games that year, he'd almost certainly have eclipsed the 200 point mark and had his personal best season at age 27.

brian_kemp Posted
(2009-10-12 08:22:13)

ibleedblue, people have been saying Crosby would grow into the better player for a few years now. When they both came into the league, I thought that Crosby would eventually be putting up more points than Ovechkin, but it hasn't happened yet. It might happen, but Crosby has only outpointed Ovechkin once, and has never put up more goals. (It's early, but he's not on pace to do it this year.) ole24cups, I agree that Guerin is overrated (and mostly done), and I've been saying he was overrated for a decade, but what does his passport have to do with how overrated he is? If he was Canadian (or Russian, Swedish or Czech), he would still be overrated. I don't see Crosby, Ovechkin or Malkins numbers dropping off from where they are for another four or five years. The only drop that might happen in any of their cases over that time is if they rise significantly and then return to where they are now. Also, Ovechkin has proven to be pretty durable. The major difference I see between him and others who liked to hit is that while he hasn't been afraid to get hit, he is a lot more slippery than Lindros, and a lot more aware of what is going on around him. I don't see him getting caught with his head down. Also, and I'm not saying he is another Howe, but some guys are just freaks of nature and can stay healthy a lot longer than others.

chabotsky Posted
(2009-10-12 07:35:50)

I truly enjoy both Ovechkin AND Crosby.I said a couple of years ago that I can see Ovechkin break Gretzky's 92 goal record and Crosby is going to become a bigger point producer and satisfy his critics in either this or next year.I watched him take apart my Leafs on Saturday night and ever since last years playoffs he seems to have finally started to believe he doesn't just have to be a set up man and shoots the puck more often.Maybe it has to do with his new one piece composite stick that he finally put a bit of curve in.He explained in the interview that night that he wants to be able to get the puck up faster as with the butterfly style of goaltending in this era goalies have blocked off the lower portion of the net. The one thing that concerns me about Ovechkin is his crash and bang, all out style of play.I see alot of Cam Neely in him and that full contact style of play just has to take its toll on a player's body. I consider myself very fortunate that at age 42 I have been able to witness not just one but two eras with the two(ok definitely add Malkin to the mix and make it three)greatest talents that the NHL has ever produced!

jimpah Posted
(2009-10-12 05:18:49)

It somehow feels like Ovechkin really is the real deal. A true one of a kind starplayer. Atleast it feels like that for me. I've never really liked Sidney Crosby and think he's a little overrated. Even though he can play icehockey, I can't say anything else. But he's not a true favourite for me.

thesideburns Posted
(2009-10-11 22:03:04)

Mario Lemieux career was hampered by injury not age. His comeback year after 5 years of no NHL hockey, he scored 35 goals in 43 games and he was in his mid 30's. Expand that out to 82 games and he has a grand total of 66 goals. Now think of what Lemieux did in 2000-01, and imagine if he had no injury problems before that. He would've easily hit the 80 goal plateau once again.

ole24cups Posted
(2009-10-11 20:12:45)

Teams are too watered down these days. Take St. Louis and Kovalchuk out of the gutters they're in and put them on Crosby's wings and you'll get you'll get the totals you seek. How can you expect a guy to score 50 goals when he has some bottom-of-the-barrel American has-been on his right-wing and a never-was on his left? Its a shame, take 5 teams out of America and one team out of Toronto and we'll get ourselves entertaining hockey again! GO HABS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

theblizz Posted
(2009-10-11 19:56:36)

couldn't care less, that is.

theblizz Posted
(2009-10-11 19:56:01)

Great points by all the posters below. As a Pens' fan, I really could care less if Crosby and Malkin are in the top 5 in scoring, so long as we win another Cup or two or five. I cared about how many points Lemieux scored when the Pens were awful... when the Pens were good in the early 90s, I just wanted Lemieux to be healthy for the playoffs. I also don't think the comparisons that are being made are relevant because if you look at all the players mentioned, I'm sure that you would see a general trend in reduced scoring league-wide... meaning that it became progressively more difficult for the entire league to score each year a player was in the league. Watch some of those ESPN Classic games from when Gretzky was in his 2nd or 3rd year and it's amazing how awful the defensemen were and how much room players had to skate. And goalies only filled about 1/3 of the net (before the giant pad era).

j_n_16 Posted
(2009-10-11 15:36:58)

There's one thing you are forgetting though. Neither of those guys had Gary Bettman around when the were in the early/mid 20's. Gary Bettman, and most of the NHL front office, are about goal scoring. They are going to reduce the length of leg-pads next year, and it's only a matter of time before they develop shoulder/arm/chest pads that are smaller, but just as safe. And let's not forget Gary Bettman's wet dream - bigger nets. I've got a bad feeling that we will see a time where the size of the nets are increased. But my hope is that the league does the former, sooner than they decide on the latter.

1 2 Next »