This isn't even close, Malkin is light years better.

why are you even asking a question so obvious????

Woooooo boy. Here come all the Pens fans.

This is comparing apples to oranges, as like OP said, they're different players.

Kopi's defensive game >>>>>> Malkin's defensive game.
Malkin's offensive prowess >>>>> Kopitar's offensive game.

When building a team, if you already have a Sidney Crosby, you pick Malkin over Kopitar. If you have a Connor McDavid/Auston Matthews, you might choose Kopitar over Malkin to round out your team.

No real choosing a clear-cut "better player" here. Just enjoy two great players for what they separately bring to the game. Both will make the Hall easily.

Spot on!

Could not have said it better myself, there is a reason LA was one for the 4 teams to win the cup over an 8-9 era.

Not light years better, but I definitely believe Malkin is the superior player. I would rate Malkin 95 and Kopitar 92-93.

But Malkin has won the Hart, Lindsey, 2 Art Ross titles, the Calder, Conn Smythe and is 14th all time in points per game. That's a huge resume to not give him the edge.

Malkin played as the second line center on one of the highest scoring teams of the past decade.
Kopitar played as the 1st line center on the most defensive team of the decade (of which, he's a huge reason why the Kings won 2 Jennings trophies), is still just under a point per game, plays a completely different, much more responsible/complete style than Malkin, and won 2 Selke's in an era that has Patrice Bergeron and "east coast bias". He's led the Kings in scoring for 10 out of the past 11 seasons. Don't discount Kopitar.

They're both first ballot Hall of Famers. No edge to either one because you can't compare the two.

They will both make it to the Hall but who's better?

3 Cups is greater than 2...

malkin is distinctively better than kopitar

Kopitar is so slow, he can't keep up, he's a relic

Kopitar is on pace for nearly 90 points. What the heck are you smoking?

Hmmm what could I say to exaggerate a conversation in a direction that isn't necessary? Oh i know!


Neither deserve to be in the HOF and both suck equally. You know who should be in the HOF?

.........Patrick Kane is by far the greatest hockey player of all time and anyone who disagrees should jump off a tall skyscraper. We need to just accept that this guy is at the top in every category. Not only is he the best scorer, he’s also the greatest playmaker as he creates space with vision no one has ever seen before. He’s the best at stick handling, deking and dangling past opponents with highlight reel worthy skills. Everything he does is out of this world, there has simply never been a more brilliant player. There should be no more doubts that this guy is number one.

.........Patrick Kane is by far the greatest hockey player of all time and anyone who disagrees should jump off a tall skyscraper. We need to just accept that this guy is at the top in every category. Not only is he the best scorer, he’s also the greatest playmaker as he creates space with vision no one has ever seen before. He’s the best at stick handling, deking and dangling past opponents with highlight reel worthy skills. Everything he does is out of this world, there has simply never been a more brilliant player. There should be no more doubts that this guy is number one.

.........Patrick Kane is by far the greatest hockey player of all time and anyone who disagrees should jump off a tall skyscraper. We need to just accept that this guy is at the top in every category. Not only is he the best scorer, he’s also the greatest playmaker as he creates space with vision no one has ever seen before. He’s the best at stick handling, deking and dangling past opponents with highlight reel worthy skills. Everything he does is out of this world, there has simply never been a more brilliant player. There should be no more doubts that this guy is number one.

I got your back @HattrickKane88

gonna rename the Hall of Fame to the Hall of Kane.

If we have to compare, then Malkin would be rated around 95 whereas Kopitar is 92-93, the same class as Toews and Bergeron. Malkin was a superstar in his prime, easily one of the top 3 players in the league. How quickly we forget. Many people considered Malkin close to being a generational talent. He is one of those big power-forwards who can hit, fight, check but also has the puck skills, playmaking and scoring abilities of an elite forward. It doesn't get much better than that.

"How quickly we forget". That can be applied both ways. During the Kings Cup years, Gretzky himself said that Kopitar was one of the top 3 centers in the league. And that list didn't include Malkin.

Wait, hold up. I thought the best player ever, according to Canadian's fans, was Cole Caufield? ;P

In terms of skill, Malkin was definitely better than Kopitar.

Out of curiosity, in what type of voting and for what? And wasn't 2018 (last year) one of Malkin's absolute worst years in his career?

It was the NHL rankings for each season. Malkin usually came behind Crosby and McDavid. He was #1 in 2012 when he won the Hart and Lindsey. In 2017-18, Malkin scored 38 goals and 98 points. He was ranked #3 before the start of the 2018-19 season. He came into this season not being a top 50 center in the league.

Well duh, he's gonna score 180 goals a season ONCE he's here. Im only talking about current players.