Why is gretzky untouchable

Moreover, Gretzky came as close to performing impeccably in an athletic context. He simply contributed at a supreme level, executing instinctually and athletically in a split second on one centimeter blades. Performance and production: Gretzky parlayed his incomparable athleticism into unmatched production, coupled by awards and championships.

No athlete dominated his or her sport in such an extended manner the way Gretzky did. Nor with such aplomb. Gretzky made it look easy. His points accrued are the fairest and most logical barometer in which to gauge his unrivaled athleticism. Take any sport and study the criterion for effectiveness. Points, yards, hits all equate to production, which of course, is predicated by statistics. They are the hallmarks by which we judge any athlete.

MVPs and championships also come into the equation as ancillary benchmarks. Most dominant athlete and greatest athlete, in this case, are mutually exclusive. Yet it only applies to Gretzky. Here is a countdown of ten Gretzky records that will not be broken:. Well, Gretzky led the league in points for half of his career.

In each of the years that Gretzky won the award, he amassed at least points during the season. The Great One averaged Gordie Howe has won the second most Art Ross Trophies in a career with six. Jaromir Jagr has the highest total among active players with five. The Flyers organization has been one of the better ones in the NHL over the past twenty-five years. The Phoenix Coyotes have continued to defy the odds by having relatively competitive teams despite tremendous organizational turmoil.

Things may settle with the ownership situation changing as the team moves forward. Goaltender Mike Smith has been a huge part of the Coyotes on-ice success. He now has a long-term contract that affords him a level of peace of mind that he has not had previously.

Smith is on the radar for the Canadian Olympic team, and do not be surprised if he is one of the three goalies named to the squad.

Smith plays in a goalie-friendly system in Phoenix, but he is a late bloomer with very good fundamentals. Most Untouchable Player: Sidney Crosby. Sidney Crosby, at his best, is the most dominant player in the NHL. He just happens to play with another dominant offensive player in Evgeni Malkin. They should be considered as 1 and 1A in Pittsburgh with Malkin being an all-world offensive talent.

Crosby has been the best player of his generation. He is a fierce competitor who is rarely outworked in a game, if ever. His long-term health remains a concern with the number of concussions he has suffered. If Crosby were ever to be traded, that transaction would become one of the most stunning moves in NHL trade history. Logan Couture has slowly, but surely, become one of the top players in the NHL. San Jose has chosen, and rightly so, to develop him with a long view.

They had the luxury of having good teams in San Jose, but patience is always superior than exposing a player to situations that are unsuitable to his long-term development. Couture is a great puck-possession player, and his Raw Corsi number is often one of the better ones in the league in all game situations, among young forwards. Couture has exceptional hands along with superb speed. The St. The Blues have one of the better teams in the league, and Pietrangelo is in the same territory as Drew Doughty and Ryan Suter.

Pietrangelo can play in all situations, and is one of those rare players that can control the game from the back end. He can be physical when needed, although Pietrangelo is at his best when he is able to use his high hockey IQ to its fullest. The Blues need to be mindful of the contract position that P. Subban is in now, thanks to his hold out, and subsequent short-term contract.

Steven Stamkos is one of the hardest workers in the NHL. He has exceptional endurance. Combined with his amazing hand-eye coordination, Stamkos is dominant throughout an entire game; and, that cannot be said of all elite offensive players.

Stamkos is one of those rare players that can score in a number of ways. If you lose sight of him in the offensive zone, there is a good chance that the puck ends up in the back of your net. The Lightning have some exciting young talent that will benefit from watching how Stamkos conducts himself as a pro. Other Likely Untouchable s : Martin St. Joffrey Lupul has played some of his best hockey in Toronto with the Leafs. As long as he can remain healthy, he will continue to be one of the most important players in the Leafs organization.

Lupul has always been a gifted goal scorer. He has good reach and soft hands. He is a good skater who is rarely out of position. As Lupul has matured, his defensive game has also improved.

This was something that was questioned in his earlier years in the league. Lupul has an outgoing personality, and his quick wittedness makes him a natural leader off the ice. The Sedins, Daniel and Henrik, seem destined to play their entire careers in Vancouver.

They are eligible to be Unrestricted Free Agents next year, but it would be very surprising if they do not remain in Vancouver. The Canucks have recently drafted some dynamic young forwards, but they are years away from having a significant impact at the NHL level. The Canucks have some great pieces in place, although time is beginning to be a factor with this core group. With the move to the Pacific division, the Canucks will no longer be favored to win their division title.

Ovechkin has not shown signs of slowing down. From , he finished at least tied for the lead in goals seven times. So, even if he dips his production and settles into consistently scoring 35 goals instead of 45 until he turns 40, he will be in sight of the record. So, the two big questions remain to see if the NHL will have a new goal-scoring king. If his ability to finish starts to dramatically dip, Gretzky will stay at number one. But if Ovechkin stays right around his average production, even a notch below, he will surpass Gretzky before retiring.

Unless, of course, he walks away with a lot left in the tank. Which leads to question number two. How long does Ovechkin want to play? If the answer is only a couple of more seasons, then it will be nearly impossible for him to accumulate the needed amount to surpass Gretzky.