Giroux was put in a secondary and even tertiary role when he entered the league and for his first two+ seasons, behind Richards, Carter, and Briere. In his first season, he didn't even play his natural Center position. On the other hand, Crosby entered the league in a primary role, playing pond hockey with Mario Lemieux, and has flourished since. I'd like to see where Giroux is in three years and then reassess, but skill wise, I think Giroux is up there, but just a smidgeon below Crosby. I think Sidney has better vision overall (and without question, the best vision in the game), but I would agree that Claude has better stick handling skills -- but not by all that much. Time will tell, hoping that Crosby doesn't end up getting knocked out of the game for good.