Sidney Crosby only has 71 points in 64 games.
He may not even win the scoring race.
What a disaster!
He should probably just retire.
OK, fine, maybe Jim Rutherford is right and we’re “nitpicking” a bit.
Maybe Crosby’s numbers are down (slightly) because he isn’t “cheating” defensively and he’s more committed to playing a two-way game.
And perhaps he’s a victim of an evolving NHL, where there’s “less room” to operate and fewer power plays than there were a few years ago.
That being said, it’s no secret the NHL is a young man’s game; a league in which players are considered “genetic freaks” if they’re able to remain dominant into their 30s. At 27 years old -- and with around 700 games, regular season and playoffs combined, on the ol’ body odometer -- Sid the Kid is well into middle age by hockey standards.
So...are his most prolific scoring years behind him?