The Sidney Crosby Career Simulation

[RMc]

Don't do it! Atlanta will support a winner! (Put an expansion team in Winnipeg if you have to, or just move the Coyotes back!)

[chunks]

Originally Posted by RMc

Don't do it! Atlanta will support a winner! (Put an expansion team in Winnipeg if you have to, or just move the Coyotes back!)

I already let them move, sadly. I'll eventually explore an alternate reality where they don't move, though.

[chunks]

Now that we’ve officially finished season number five of Sid’s career, I wanted to do a reflection of sorts as well as see how other players around the league are doing.

Sid is at 437 career points. In real life he had 506 by this point in his career. A difference of 69 points that I will go ahead and attribute to the fact that he played with Josh Holden and Erik Condra for two seasons and was buried on the fourth line for another. The biggest difference though, is playoff success. He currently has not won a Cup, while real life Sidney did in 08-09.

Of course, we are seeing what he can do apart from our good friend Geno Malkin who is living it up in Montreal. Geno is six seasons in with the Canadiens and he has 468 points to show for it. Montreal has not missed the playoffs since his arrival. He holds the record for most assists in a game by a Canadiens rookie in history with 3. He also has the most powerplay goals in a season by a Canadien with 24. He’s playing with Perron and Ribeiro. Shea Weber and Jaroslav Halak also join him in Montreal. We’ve played him in the playoffs once and the score is currently Malkin 1 – Crosby 0.

Another Crosby teammate, Kris Letang, is living this life in Chicago where he has formed a formidable blueline with Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Jordan Staal is slowly developing in Nashville with Travis Zajac.

Alex Ovechkin is in his sixth season in San Jose. He has had 581 points since joining the league and plays alongside Marleau and Pavelski with Pekka Rinne in net. The Sharks have never missed the playoffs with Ovechkin in uniform. He holds the Sharks record for most goals ever in a season with 60 and holds 7 in-game rookie sharks records including most points with 4.

His running mate, Nicklas Backstrom is carrying the load in Columbus. The Jackets have Backstrom and Nash up front with Ryan Suter on the back end. The Jackets have made four straight playoff appearances.

Crosby’s cross-state rival in his former life, Claude Giroux, is in Pittsburgh. Giroux has 283 points in four seasons and the Penguins are a mess. They have Fleury and Rask in net and Spaling is centering their top line. Good luck to Claude.

Jonathan Toews is, of course, in Atlanta. He is overshadowed there by his winger, nothing new for him. Currently he’s behind Daniel Briere on the depth chart, but that will be his team sooner rather than later. The current score of that head-to-head is Toews 1 – Crosby 0.

Last is, perhaps, the player that fell into the best circumstance. Patrick Kane was drafted by a Bruins team that already had Thornton, Bergeron, and Oshie. The Bruins are a force to be reckoned with and it is more likely than not that we will have to beat them and Montreal to get anywhere close to a Cup in the coming years.

I am hopeful that in the next five years, Sid and the Leafs will have won a Cup. I think their window is open now that Hedman and Josi are regular NHLers. Jury is out on what Andersen’s purpose in the line-up will be, but it's currently looking like a wasted draft pick. I am really looking forward to seeing what this group can do together and if they can find continued playoff success.

[chunks]

Jaden Schwartz fell into our lap at the end of the first round. Other than that, nothing much has changed. Jonathan Quick re-signed for four years at 5.3 million.



The lines:



At this point, I am afraid to find out what will happen if Josh Holden leaves the team in Free Agency.

Sid won Player of the Month in October because he had 21 points in 10 games. The next closest Leaf is Eberle with 12. Through ten games, we are 7-2-1. Sid has 69 points through 41 games. We are 30-9-2.

At the trade deadline, Dany Heatley was dealt to Montreal, who are currently behind us by a point in the division standings.

Sid won the Art Ross with 121 points but did not get nominated for the Hart. Instead it’s Malkin and two Bruins in Thornton and Kane.

Come on, FHM!

[chunks]

Carolina is our opponent in the first round. They have an incredibly good version of Brian Elliott in net along with Eric Staal and Paul Stastny.



We lost Game 1 3-2 and wasted a two-goal effort from Sid.

We won Game 2 8-1 behind a five-point performance from Sid, who still isn’t our captain because Barrett Jackman exists.

Game 3 was another win for us. Sid set up the game-winner with a minute and twenty seconds left in regulation.

Game 4 we lost because Eric Staal came out with a four-point effort. Sid had an assist.

We won Game 5 thanks to the Mike Santorelli-Craig Smith- Jordan Eberle line. Sid scored as well.

The Hurricanes just will not go away, though. They win Game 6 and send the series to seven. Sid once again had an assist in the loss.

And we lost Game 7. Sid only had an assist. He finished the playoffs with 12 points in 7 games. Identical totals to his first ever playoff appearance.

Ovechkin and Backstrom are playing each other in the Western Conference Final. Ovechkin won and in the deciding game, he scored four goals. At this point, the playoff choker is Sid.

The Sharks ultimately won over Ryan Miller’s Sabres and Ovechkin has his Cup seven years early. Marleau, Pavelski, and Rinne also get theirs. Ehrhoff of the Sharks won the Conn Smythe.

[chunks]

Todd White retired, leaving a chasm at the second-line centre spot where there was previously only a big hole.

We end up with Gabriel Landeskog with the 30th pick of the draft. Incredible. Time will tell if he can replace Josh Holden though.



The lines:



Sid has had a lot worse so this is fine.

It is Stanley Cup or bust for us this year. We have prime Sid, prime Quick, prime Hedman, and prime Josi. It's our time to compete and Sid's time to show that he isn't just a generational talent, but also generational winner.

Oh my god, we didn’t make the playoffs. Sid had 83 points in 79 games.

The Bruins won and Kane won the Conn Smythe. You have no idea how disappointed I am right now.

[chunks]

Well, there you have it folks, Josh Holden retired. We are picking tenth in the Nail Yakupov draft.

We came out of it with Filip Forsberg. Holy. Sid’s gotta start getting it done.

We are officially the favourites to win the Cup according to the season preview.





Cup or bust, baby.

At the trade deadline, Sidney is his usual Sidney self. He has 72 points in 57 games. Leafs are six points behind Boston for the Division with three games in hand.

Sid was nominated for the Hart after a 102-point season where he played a full 82 games. The Bruins won the division, which would normally leave us to deal with Evgeni and the Canadiens in the first round, but they did not make the playoffs.

Instead, we get Philadelphia.

[chunks]

The Flyers have Jeff Carter, Patrick Sharp, and a young Artemi Panarin.



We lost Game 1 despite two goals from Sid.

In Game 2, Quick shut out the Flyers and Barrett Jackman scored in OT to give us the win.

Game 3 goes to us. Sid scored a goal.

Game 4 is going to forever be known as the Sid Playoff Hat Trick game. He scored three on the same powerplay after Tyler Kennedy delivered an illegal check to the head on him. Guy is a legend. We won 6-1 and Kennedy got suspended for two games.



Game 5 is ours despite a quiet night from Sid. He’s saving it for round 2.

We draw the newly relocated Winnipeg Jets in round 2. If anyone needs a reminder, Ilya Kovalchuk absolutely smoked us three years ago. This time around, though, we have a fully evolved Hedman, which should help.



We lose Game 1 in OT when renowned playmaker Andrew Ebbett set up the game winner. Sid had a goal.

We win Game 2 after a goal and assist from Sid.

Sid scored twice and we win Game 3. Come on, boys.

Game 4, Jonathan Quick pitched a shutout and Victor Hedman walked out of the game with a 100 game rating. Sid had a hand in both goals, he scored one and set up the other.

We beat them down in Game 5 in Winnipeg. Sid had a goal and assist and we are heading to the Conference Final for the second time! Crosby 1 – Toews 1.

Here we go, we’re playing the Bruins.



Where I think we can take advantage of them is their relatively weak D. Last time I said that, though, Ilya Kovalchuk killed us.

Game 1 to Boston. Troy Grosenick shuts us out.

Game 2 to us. Sid has a quiet game.

Game 3, we win. Mike Santorelli has 10 assists in the playoffs. Sid quiet again.

We take Game 4. Sid has a pair of assists.

Oh my god, we won Game 5. We won Game 5. We’re heading to the Final. Sid has two assists in the win. And, because he’s the captain now instead of Barrett Jackman, I’m assuming he touches the Prince of Wales Trophy.

Vancouver is our opponent in the Final. They are led by the Sedins and Ryan Kesler but are not without their faults. They never traded for Luongo in this universe and so they have Evgeni Nabokov and Jeremy Duschesne in net.



Game 1 to us. Sid with first star honours after contributing with an assist.

Game 2 to us. Sid assists all three goals and Jonathan Quick shuts them out.

We lose Game 3. Brock Nelson, who is a Canuck, explodes for five points. Sid has a goal in the loss.

We also lose Game 4. We’ve been shut out by both Jeremy Duchesne and Troy Grosenick in these playoffs.

Sid scores twice and we win Game 5 in front of a packed Air Canada Centre.

We lost Game 6 in OT after a Jeremy Colborne goal. Sid has an assist in the loss.

Okay, Game 7.

The Canucks are absolutely being led into battle by the Sedin twins, who are somehow working their magic against our Hedman-Josi pairing while Sid is getting stoned by Jeremy Duchesne. Vancouver, of course, has already won a Cup. They beat Roberto Luongo and the Panthers to do it. If they can beat us, I’m ready to put them in the same category as the overwhelmingly good Detroit Red Wings of the 2000s.

The game opens with a Daniel Sedin goal from Jonas Brodin. Jaden Schwartz ties it. Halfway through the third, Tom Pyatt converts on a pass from Sid to give us the lead. With eight minutes left, Sid takes an elbowing penalty, and we escape with the lead. With five minutes left in the game, we have 35 shots to their 17. I won’t be too mad if they give Duchesne the Conn Smythe.

Oh my god, we did it. We won. Sid has won his Stanley Cup and gets the Conn Smythe for his troubles. Three years after he won it for the first time in real life, Sid has a Stanley Cup.

Winning in Toronto must have been one of the most incredible sports moments of this alternate reality. Sid has truly cemented his place among the greats by bringing Toronto its 14th Stanley Cup. Of course, for us fans of other teams, it must be hell having to watch Sidney Crosby lift the Cup endlessly on loop all summer while TSN and Sportsnet go on and on about the Leafs.

The best thing is, Sid is still only 26, Quick 27, Hedman 22, Eberle 23, Josi 23, and Henrique 23. We also have Forsberg who is 19, Landeskog 20, and Schwartz 21. After the roster missteps early in Sid’s career, we were able to build depth through the draft. We are now reaping the benefits of the those underperforming teams. We have an embarrassment of riches right now. There’s a good chance this team can bring #15 to Toronto before their primes end.

In a lot of ways, too, the early 2010s were lost opportunities for the real Sid, so it’s kind of amazing to see him win it here.

[chunks]

I forgot to grab a screenshot of the final playoff tree, so I went back.

[chunks]

Edmonton had the first pick in the MacKinnon draft and wasted it on Sean Monahan. St. Louis gets MacKinnon at 2. Domi to Nashville, Barkov to the Devils, and Bo Horvat to Ottawa round out the top five.



Schwartz has moved to play centre and will be between Landeskog and Pyatt. Sid is holding down the top line with Eberle and Henrique.

Once again, it’s pretty much Cup or bust for these Leafs. Now that they’ve won one, it’s time for Sid to cement his legacy by winning and winning a lot. So far, he, Ovechkin, and Kane have won Cups while Malkin, Backstrom, and Toews have not. Interesting.

At the Trade Deadline, the Leafs sit atop the Atlantic. We have a six-point lead on the Florida Panthers, who are in second. Sid has 69 points in 58 games, which is good for 4th in the scoring race.



The Leafs finish first in the Atlantic and Victor Hedman, not Sid, is nominated for the Hart Trophy. Sid finishes with 96 points in 79 games, good for second in the scoring race, which is won by Nicklas Backstrom.

[chunks]

The Leafs draw the Caps in the first round. They have Jamie Benn, Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Pietrangelo, Mark Giordano, and Ben Bishop.



We take Game 1 thanks to Jonathan Quick’s 39-save performance. Sid chips in with an assist.

Game 2 goes to Washington who are propped up by Bryan LittleÂ’s goal and two assists. Sid scored a goal and had an assist as well.

Game 3 goes to Washington as well behind a herculean effort from a guy we could have had in Alex Pietrangelo. Sid was held scoreless and also fought Cody Hodgson in the second period for some unknown reason.

We won Game 4 in Washington. Forsberg was stellar and Sid had an assist.

Back home for Game 5, we win and Sid scores the game winner.

The Leafs of old would have undoubtedly let this go seven, but the defending champs are having none of it. Sid scores again in the Game 6 win and we are moving on.

Our second-round opponent is Florida. It’s like we are going on a tour of players we could have had as Florida is led by none other than Phil Kessel.



Sid scores in our Game 1 loss. Cory Conacher came up big for them and Luongo stopped 41 of 42 shots.

In Game 2, Sid had three assists and we won 4-3.

Game 3 is a an instant Sid classic. He scored and added two assists in another 4-3 win. Every time Florida seemed like they were going to take the game, Sid appeared and orchestrated a goal.

Roberto Luongo shuts us out in Game 4.

We win Game 5 thanks to Gabe Landeskog while Sid is held pointless. This is what I meant by embarrassment of riches. Sid had nothing going, Eberle had nothing going, Henrique had nothing, Forserg had nothing, Schwartz too. Yet, the sixth guy in our forward group took over a game. Thanks, Gabe.

Game 6 is a Luongo clinic. He made 42 saves. Sid had a goal and ten shots on goal. All of a sudden, our repeat bid is on the ropes. Our series is the only one going seven.

We win Game 7 on the back of a classic Sid performance. He had 2 assists and an 82 Defensive Game Rating.

Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Detroit are up next.



The Wings don’t really have anyone to be afraid of outside of Zetterberg and Datsyuk. They still have Kronwall on D, but that’s basically it. Eddie Lack is in net. Full credit to them, though, they did beat Columbus in the last round and Columbus has Backstrom who is a scoring machine.

Game 1 is ours despite Sid going pointless.

Game 2 goes to us. Sid has two assists.

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but on the other side of the bracket is Alex Ovechkin and the Sharks vs Minnesota.

Game 3, once again goes to us. Sid with a goal.

We lost in Game 4. Sid had an assist.

No worries, though. We just wanted to be like MJ and the Bulls and close it out in Game 5 at home. We scored seven thanks to a goal and two assists from Sid. I hope he touched the Prince of Wales Trophy again. So far, our title defense is going pretty darn well.

Minnesota and San Jose are in a seventh game to see who will play us in the Final. I am selfishly hoping for Ovechkin for the storylines.

And we get our wish.

Sid vs Ovi for the first time on the biggest stage possible in hockey. Incredible.

San Jose might be as good as us. They have Marleau-Pavelski-Ovi and then Grabner-Krejci-Michalek and then Drazenovic-Couturier-Versteeg. Yikes. Rinne is in net, but their D is nowhere near our top three of Hedman, Josi, and Johnson.



I’m pretty stoked.

Game 1 at the ACC goes to San Jose thanks to a hell of a game from both Rinne and Sean Couturier.

Game 2 goes to us. Sid is held pointless in consecutive games. Ovi scored.

The series shifted to San Jose in Game 3 and Sid scored a goal in a win for us. Roman Josi balled out with two assists and, I swear, endless possession. He had the puck in every highlight that popped up. Nothing from Ovi.

IÂ’m genuinely afraid at this point that 2014 Alex Ovechkin is just going to explode in the last half of this series.

Game 4 is San Jose’s. This is like the Sean Couturier show right now and it is not pretty for the Leafs.

We win Game 5! Sid has an assist in the win. Ovi is pointless.

Game 6 in San Jose, where real-life Sid won his second Cup. And we take it. Sid scores a goal and Ovi puts up one last fight with a goal and an assist.

Incredible. A back-to-back for the Leafs. Sid takes the Conn Smythe again with 26 points in 24 playoff games. Toronto has 15 championships and it is officially Crosby 1 – Ovechkin 0, even though the matchup was dominated by Sean Couturier and Roman Josi.



I guess we can say that our Sid is ahead of schedule now. Real Sid didn’t win his second Cup until 2016. We already have our second and the upcoming season is still only 2014-15. However, it’s hard to say if the Leafs can keep doing this, to be honest. Quick’s contract is up after next year and Sid and Eberle are up the year after that. I don’t see Sid leaving, but there might be a cap crunch that would make us lose a couple of guys because everyone definitely deserves a raise. At least Hedman is locked up for five more years after this one. I think Sid and Hedman on their own with 4th overall pick Freddie Andersen would have an outside chance.

Anyway, that’s a problem for another day. For now, we’ve won the Cup for a second time.