When you look back at how the Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin era played there can only be one description: grateful. Each player has three Stanley Cup championships, and both players were able to earn themselves a Conn Smythe Trophy, some Art Ross Trophies, and a few Ted Lindsay Awards along the way. Their legacies are as solid as a diamond.
We aren’t having the “what could have been” discourse surrounding two absolute legends of the sport. Contrast this to what is currently happening in Edmonton, and things could have played out much differently. Currently, Connor McDavid is weighing his options on his future. He is able to sign an extension, but has not done so yet.
McDavid, who can be an unrestricted free agent next July 1, reiterated Wednesday that he has “every intention to win in Edmonton,” but added it was not a guarantee he’d sign before the start of the season.
“I’d say all options are on the table. I don’t have a preference either way.”
You can tell he is exasperated after almost lifting the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons. His (and Draisaitl’s) career path has similarities to the Crosby/Malkin arc. McDavid has all the individual accolades the Penguins legends have, including a Conn Smythe Trophy. He was able to combine his powers with Draisaitl to get the Oilers back-to-back Cup Final appearances just like Crosby and Malkin did. Both teams even had to face the same exact opponent a year later. Pittsburgh was able to upset the Red Wings on their second attempt, while the Oilers lost in fewer games than the year before and closed the series out with two blowout losses.
What Might Have Been…
Imagine how things would have played out narratively if Crosby and Malkin were not able to defeat that juggernaut Red Wings team in 2009. You don’t have to imagine it because it is what is happening with McDavid and the Oilers right now.
By defeating the Red Wings, the Penguins duo didn’t have to keep chasing their legacies. Sidney Crosby signed a five-year deal the summer before the team won the 2009 Stanley Cup. What do things look like five years later if he had yet to win a Cup? There’s a chance he wouldn’t have signed a 12 year deal (legal at the time) and Penguins fans could have gone through the will he or won’t he like the Oilers fans are currently doing with Connor McDavid. Malkin signed an eight-year deal in 2014, if he is without a Cup how does that play out? It might have been easier to be annoyed about being the shadow of a player like Crosby without having that Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe in his pocket.
So here’s to Max Talbot and his two Game 7 goals against the Red Wings. Otherwise, we’d have had to deal with a lot more anxiety surrounding the Penguins megastar players over the years.
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