2nd best player in the world?

[CanadienShark]

Didn't really even hesitate. Makar.

 

[Connor McConnor]

I am a die hard Oiler fan but there is no way Drai is better than Makar

 

[Connor McConnor]

The reason why it’s used against Drai though is because he continually doesn’t produce well in his minutes away from McDavid, whereas McDavid still produces at a high rate, and Matthews/MacKinnon/Kucherov all produce at high rates even away from their best linemates. Draisaitl is a weird one where he probably does better with McDavid than anyone else would, and is an amazing PP player, but he can’t seem to be a great 5v5 player as the best on his line with any consistency.

Not a fair comparison at all. The players you listed play with who on a regular basis? What has AM done in his career away from Marner? MacK always plays on a stacked line same with Kuch.

It’s crazy the contradiction that happens on these boards, especially when it comes to Drai. Not many players other than McDavid and Crosby could carry the guys Drai has been saddled with for most of his career.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Some pretty weak arguments here. I mean I can see taking someone other than Draisaitl but let’s not pretend that Matthews, Kucherov, and Mack don’t play on a stacked line and a stacked power play. For the most part Draisaitl has had at least one weak linemate.

 

[34]

Matthews and Makar

 

[JackSlater]

Kucherov or Makar, went with Kucherov based on form right now.

 

[Rengorlex]

Offensively yes but Draisaitl is also far and away the worst defensive player in this discussion. That has to count for something.

MacKinnon isn't better defensively than Drai. His lines defensive metrics really implode without Landeskog handling the center duties.

 

[Handshot]

I find it interesting how defensive impact for a forward pretty much disappears in these discussions. Like yeah, Draisaitl puts up mad points, nobody disagrees with that. But just about every stats that measures defensive impact has him as an absolute travesty. If you want to be the 2nd best player in the league you can't be a negative impact in your own end.

Every single guy on this list has at least average D impact with big offensive impact except for Draisaitl and Karlsson on the Athletic's player cards, who both have a negative defensive impact.

You can all vote for who you want, but personally, Draisaitl falls way down my own list because he's getting caved in defensively at 5v5 relative to these other guys that dominate their time on the ice.

Drai is probably among the best PP players in the league which is absolutely a skill that not everyone can master. But that's not enough to be 2nd best in the league for me.

 

[6ix]

Not a fair comparison at all. The players you listed play with who on a regular basis? What has AM done in his career away from Marner? MacK always plays on a stacked line same with Kuch.

It’s crazy the contradiction that happens on these boards, especially when it comes to Drai. Not many players other than McDavid and Crosby could carry the guys Drai has been saddled with for most of his career.

Bro says what has Matthews done without Marner how about scored 40 goals as an 18 year old playing with Connor Brown and Zach Hyman.

Draisiatl was entering bust territory before being strapped to McDavids wing. Also one of the worst forwards in the league defensively. Half his points on the PP playing with a top 5 player of all time

Funny how Nylander is having a career season playing with Matthews.

 

[La Bamba]

Bro says what has Matthews done without Marner how about scored 40 goals as an 18 year old playing with Connor Brown and Zach Hyman.

Draisiatl was entering bust territory before being strapped to McDavids wing. Also one of the worst forwards in the league defensively. Half his points on the PP playing with a top 5 player of all time

Funny how Nylander is having a career season playing with Matthews.

All that just to be no shows in the playoffs every year and get dumped

Check their playoff PPG now lmao

 

[Dave92]

Not a fair comparison at all. The players you listed play with who on a regular basis? What has AM done in his career away from Marner? MacK always plays on a stacked line same with Kuch.

It’s crazy the contradiction that happens on these boards, especially when it comes to Drai. Not many players other than McDavid and Crosby could carry the guys Drai has been saddled with for most of his career.

C'mon man...you're right all the good players play with other good players, but none of their linemates is anywhere close to Mcdavid.

 

[Regal]

Not a fair comparison at all. The players you listed play with who on a regular basis? What has AM done in his career away from Marner? MacK always plays on a stacked line same with Kuch.

It’s crazy the contradiction that happens on these boards, especially when it comes to Drai. Not many players other than McDavid and Crosby could carry the guys Drai has been saddled with for most of his career.

It might not be entirely fair, but it is what it is. The players the other play with without their best linemate might be better, but the fall in production without McDavid for Draisaitl is startling, and without a bigger sample of being able to carry his own line he’ll always have that criticism. He is at a disadvantage with the other forwards when not with McDavid, but even watching him I don’t think he’s the same level of line driver by himself as some of the other elite players.

So it comes down to what you value and how you want to build your team. Draisaitl is probably the best player in the league at complementing another star player. I’m not sure two McDavid’s would be better than McDavid and Draisaitl together. He’s also arguably the best PP player in the league, even over McDavid. Those are two very valuable things and are reasons for putting him number 2. But if you want someone to carry a line at 5v5 then I think you look at a few others guys first.

 

[Soundwave]

C'mon man...you're right all the good players play with other good players, but none of their linemates is anywhere close to Mcdavid.

If you replaced Matthews with Draisaitl and let him play with Marner and have Nylander and Tavares and Reilly on a PP too ... I think Draisaitl would put up a metric shit ton of points there too.

The guy just has a knack for putting up points, and he's also both an elite goal scorer and an elite playmaker, which is rare.

He's a guy who can just casually put up 3-4 assists in a game, some times even a period but then is also able to score at a 45-50+ goal clip for the last several years.

 

[MrOT]

Karlsson

 

[Buck Naked]

C'mon man...you're right all the good players play with other good players, but none of their linemates is anywhere close to Mcdavid.

This season Draisaitl actually produced at a higher rate even strength with Yamamoto and Kane on his wings than when playing on McDavid's wing.

 

[JAS 39 Gripen]

I’d go with Leon here. People are seriously picking Makar eh? I love the guy, but he’s had one really great season thus far, and have kinda been “struggling” with all the big stars on his team out and about this season.

 

[Buck Naked]

I’d go with Leon here. People are seriously picking Makar eh? I love the guy, but he’s had one really great season thus far, and have kinda been “struggling” with all the big stars on his team out and about this season.

Also have a hard time putting the second best player on the Avs this year as the second best player in the league. Because I don't have Rantanen as #1.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

I’d go with Leon here. People are seriously picking Makar eh? I love the guy, but he’s had one really great season thus far, and have kinda been “struggling” with all the big stars on his team out and about this season.

Damn, being a PPG all-situations Dman is called struggling now

 

[Byron Bitz]

1 Mcdavid
2. Matthews
3. Makar
4. Mackinnon
5. Kucherov
6. Draisaitl

 

[6ix]

All that just to be no shows in the playoffs every year and get dumped

Check their playoff PPG now lmao

Unfortunately they’ve never had the luxury of playing a goalie that can’t stop a beach ball. Markstrom was absolutely horrible and you know it lol.

He racked up a ton of assists passing to Mcdaddy!!

 

[ninetyeight]

Devils fans suddenly have a bone to pick with Drai, weird what half a good season does.

What? Devils fans? Based on one poster? Why would the Devils care about the Oilers at all?

Hate to break it to you, but there are many other fanbases that hate the Oilers a lot more and share the same defensive critism about Drai and Mc.

I think they are probably the #1 and #2 players in the league in the last 5 years or so. But for two guys torching the league in points, you have to wonder why they are just barely above plusminus and not even in the top100 in corsi%.

 

[6ix]

If you replaced Matthews with Draisaitl and let him play with Marner and have Nylander and Tavares and Reilly on a PP too ... I think Draisaitl would put up a metric shit ton of points there too.

The guy just has a knack for putting up points, and he's also both an elite goal scorer and an elite playmaker, which is rare.

He's a guy who can just casually put up 3-4 assists in a game, some times even a period but then is also able to score at a 45-50+ goal clip for the last several years.

Nobody in the league can breakdown a penalty kill like McDavid… he’s a cheat code.

Teams have to leave Draisaitl open to try and defend McDavid. As good as a playmaker Marner is, he doesn’t have that speed to breakdown the PK like McDavid does. Nobody can do what McDavid does.

It’s why teams are able to sit on Matthews more to take away the one timer.

Watching McDavid toy with penalty killers is a work of art.

 

[Signupnow]

Damn, being a PPG all-situations Dman is called struggling now

Apparently he cant hold his own as we saw, 1 even strenght point in 17 games when he was put in EKs favourable position. The difference between Mcdavid and Karlsson is the difference between Karlssson and Makar atm, let that sink in. PPG dman is what a 60 point Dman was a few years ago.

 

[JAS 39 Gripen]

Damn, being a PPG all-situations Dman is called struggling now

By your standards, yes! The second best player in the nhl should at least be able to lead his team imo, and he’s not doing that this season. Don’t think anyone should treat him like some Crosby/McDavid-calibre player until he’s had at least a few great seasons

 

[psycat]

Have to give it to Kucherov based on the last handful of years or so, this year it's Karlsson.

Makar, although he is certainly top 10, winning the poll is abit weird.