Phil Esposito: Malkin is the best in the world, Ovechkin is past it

Legendary Canadian centre Phil Esposito in an interview to Russian newspaper Sport-Express stated that Pittsburg forward Yevgeny Malkin is the best in the world.

«At the moment the best hockey player in the world is Malkin. That’s right, him and not Ovechkin. The Capitals player is just not the same any more. Perhaps he’s earned too much money. I like players of his type, but he lacks the passion that he used to have. And Semin might even be more talented than Ovechkin, but Semin has no passion at all,» the former Boston Bruins player.