After McDavid, Who's the Best Peak Player of the Current Generation?

[authentic]

I guess with that logic, you have mackinnon ahead of Crosby?

Different eras

Pretty tough to pick.. I think MacK, Kucherov and Drai are all right there.

Makar is amazing but a step down with pretender Matthews.

Tough to say Makar is a step down, he’s been better in the playoffs than MacKinnon. I still take MacKinnon narrowly due to his play since the beginning of last season while still being a beast in the playoffs himself.

 

[amnesiac]

Why is MacKinnon ahead of drasaitl,

MacKinnon 50+ goal seasons - 1
MacKinnon 100+ pt seasons - 2

Drasaitl 50 goal seasons - 3
Drasaitl 100 pt seasons - 5

Isn’t this about peak single season?

 

[psycat]

Impossible to determine if you don't give a definition to what "generation" means in this context. Is it players born in the 90s? Id argue Karlsson peak wise stacks up pretty well against the players in the poll for example(it's certainly debatable if he or Makar, so far, peaked higher) and it's only 3 or so years between him and Kuch(whom I would pick out of those in the poll and likely either way, but then again it's only 3 years between Karlsson and Crosby and so on).

Like why would Kucherov+McDavid be in the same generation if Kucherov+Karlsson arent?

 

[PensandCaps]

It's easily Kucherov. Stole two rosses in the Mcdavid era. Also his playoff resume puts him a tier above the rest. The disrespect he gets because he's a sneaky assassin and not super flashy, is ridiculous. You ain't taking peak Matthews for a cup run over Kuch.

 

[Felidae]

You were using 1 year comparison, I was using career to date, apples to oranges


As Sam constatine once said, a playersa best ability is their availability

Why are we using career stats when the question pertains to peak play?

Draisatl has definitely been more healthy and consistent year to year, id say he has the edge in prime, but Mackinnon's 140 point season happened in a similar scoring environment to Draisatl's career high (128 points)

Then if we compare Draisatl's 2019 season to Mackinnon's 2024 season, the latter dominated his competition to a greater degree.

Draisatl 2019

32 point gap over 10th place
44 point gap over 20th place


Mackinnon 2024

42 point gap over 10th place
52 point gap over 20th place.

 

[Three On Zero]

You were using 1 year comparison, I was using career to date, apples to oranges

This is a poll about peak and not about career

 

[Sky04]

Did they score 70 goals?

Matthews didn't either so he doesn't even have that. Handful of people have scored 60~ recently nothing special anymore.

 

[Three On Zero]

Matthews didn't either so he doesn't even have that. Handful of people have scored 60~ recently nothing special anymore.

Tied for 15th all time in goals scored in a season.

MacK and Kuch in the 20s for points per season, when you can receive 2 assists per goal. I’ll take the higher goals for peak as it’s less common. Both are superior players but I don’t think either hits that goal total

 

[gritdash60]

Kinda biased to say "after" on the title, i would argue few of these players are on the same level.

 

[Three On Zero]

Kinda biased to say "after" on the title, i would argue few of these players are on the same level.

Career wise McDavid, Kucherov and MacKinnon are on the same level. Peak wise I would say McDavid is above them

 

[gritdash60]

Carter wise McDavid, Kucherov and MacKinnon are on the same level. Peak wise I would say McDavid is above them

Yep, that holds true until you start counting cups.

 

[Three On Zero]

Yep, that holds true until you start counting cups.

I focus purely on regular season. Makes for a more even playing field with a larger sample size against the entire league.

 

[gritdash60]

I focus purely on regular season. Makes for a more even playing field with a larger sample size against the entire league.

I respect that, and i would agree McDavid is still the #1 even with what i said before, but wording it as "after" just sounded something like he is way above everyone else, which i don't think is true.

 

[Three On Zero]

I respect that, and i would agree McDavid is still the #1 even with what i said before, but wording it as "after" just sounded something like he is way above everyone else, which i don't think is true.

Agreed.