Joined: Mar. 2017
Posts: 10,386
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I consider only very few forwards in the NHL "elite". I not only use point total, but overall impact to the team. For example, Sidney Crosby elevates the game of who plays next to him. He could score 60 points, but if he makes his line mates put up 50 points when they are really only talented enough to put up 20, thats a major differential.
The only forwards I consider "elite" are Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Patrick Kane. Guys like Malkin, Tavares, Backstrom, yeah they are all good, but not elite. In today's society, everyone is "elite." Elite should only be used when talking about a player that is truly elite, a 100% certainty. You can't make the case that these guys aren't elite (McDavid, Crosby, Kane) but you can make the case that Tavares isn't, at least, more strongly than the aforementioned names.