Sergei might have been the most talented red wing ever. but also the most frustrating. he was so good that you always expected even more, and some nights it was clear he just wasnt into it.
he was always my second favorite red wing after yzerman just cause he was so good, but he'd never replace yzerman. two stories indicate why. the first is the story of how fedorov got a knock in a game and left. it took konstantinov or fetisov going into the medical room and basically calling him out as a pansy ass and to get his behind back on the ice for sergei to go back out and play. meanwhile yzerman finished his career playing with zero cartilage in his knee, with constant pain, and was still out there every night playing defense and blocking shots.
it took scotty bowman to make yzerman from a fancy offensive stats player to one of the best two way centers in hockey. sergei was born as one of the best two way centers in hockey, but not even scotty bowman or slava fetisov could get him to do it consistently.