Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
NHL Power Rankings: Number One
Sidney Crosby, to the surprise of nobody, is the best center in the Eastern Conference and arguably the best player in the NHL. Not only does he have elite possession stats, his production rates that make everyone else look silly.
His 2.80 even-strength points per 60 minutes over the past three NHL seasons is the best in the Eastern Conference. The next closest? Tyler Johnson with 2.34. He narrowly missed being one of the three Eastern Conference centers to average over one even strength goal per 60 minutes (0.97), but he’s still third among Eastern Conference centers. His 1.83 even-strength assists per 60 minutes put him in first among Eastern Conference centers by a margin of .39. He also leads all Eastern Conference centers in total points per 60 minutes with 3.65. Crosby plays 21 minutes a night, so he averages a point per game.
He’s in the top five in every possession stat. While he might not be as good as Bergeron, he makes up for it with his unreal production. As a Caps fan, I hate Crosby with every fiber of my soul. But I respect him. He’s definitely the best center in the Eastern Conference and probably the best in the NHL.