Its not just about production numbers, of which Kovalev's were quite good, its about how he produced them and what he was capable of at any given moment. Those capabilities are unmatched by anyone currently, or since, that game breaking dynamic left the moment he did. So its easy to throw shots at him for falling short on his defensive game, but that was never his game, his game was all about dominating a game offensively with what looked like sorcery at times. He was good for at least 25 or so games a year where he was simply sensational, in those games it was pretty good odds for us to win. He was also good for about 6 or 7 games where he just looked like the most dominant player on the planet, in which case, a win was generally a lock, entirely because of him.
I try not to define him by the things he wasn't, but by the things he was, and that is, exciting, insanely skilled, offensively dominant, and every bit a Harlem Globe Trotter in the NHL. A little refresher for those who have clearly forgotten, or ignore the positives because he didn't look like Patrice Bergeron or Jere Lethinen out there...