When talking about the most valuable player award, you have to look at what the award really means. MVP means the most valuable player, not necessarily the best. When the NHL announced that Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, John Tavares of the New York Islanders and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins were the finalists for the prestigious award, the debate ensued.
First off, let me preface this with saying there is absolutely no debate as to whether or not Crosby is the best player in the game. Despite missing 12 games, Crosby still tied for third in the league with 56 points. So with his dominance, Crosby has to be the most valuable player to his team, right? Sorry, that’s not how it works.
With a team packed full of All-Stars, the Penguins posted an 8-4 record without Crosby en route to finishing first in the Eastern Conference. The team’s success without Crosby hurts his chances to win the trophy or at least it should.
The real MVP should go to Tavares. Without his consistent presence all year, the Islanders would’ve finished towards the bottom of the conference instead of making the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
Crosby deserves the Ted Lindsay Awards for the most outstanding player in the league. Corey Perry, Jose Theodore and Joe Thornton all won the MVP and at no point in their respective careers were they even close to being the best player in hockey. Crosby is the best player on his team, but wasn’t the most valuable this year.
Photo Credits: Yahoo! Sports
