As of TODAY, where is McDavid on the all time list in your opinion?

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Probably in the 10-20 range, ends up 6th all time unless he find another gear defensively. Him and Crosby likely jockey for 5th place, dependant on whom you talk to.

How were Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe defensively?

Let me guess, you have no idea because people don't care when they produce at the rate that they do

 

[Terry Yake]

#4

 

[Ghost of Murph]

Currently 10-15 range. Will obviously end up higher if he continues piling up offensive numbers. He has been around long enough to be compared to the offensive greats. Lemieux is the greatest offensive talent in my 50ish years of watching hockey. Nobody currently playing has the skill to top Lemieux. McDavid has the potential to move ahead of some others though.

 

[jigglysquishy]

How were Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe defensively?

Let me guess, you have no idea because people don't care when they produce at the rate that they do

Howe was very strong defensively and was one of the best defensive forwards of his era.

Especially into the early mid 60s where he was tasked with being the number one offensive producer and number one defensive wall.

As for McDavid, I have him 9th all time. But expect him to reach 5th sooner than later.

 

[JustNapalmIt]

5 or so

 

[Video Nasty]

Top 5 most talented player to ever step onto the ice.

Top 10 at the moment is fair. I actually understand the people who need a little more.

I think if he and the Oilers win the Cup this postseason, at least half the hockey world writes him into #5 all-time.

From there, he either strengthens his case to be firmly in a new Big Five, or builds a serious argument to be placed over anyone but Gretzky, for those who favor both longevity and peak.

If the back half of his career unfolds as positively as possible, it wouldn’t exactly shock me to see some argue over Gretzky considering the modern day implications.

 

[CN8]

To me that game 7 last year was a chance to seal his legacy. They pull that off I’ll move him to number 5 right now
But since they didn’t I’d say 5-10 and moving up

 

[Video Nasty]

To me that game 7 last year was a chance to seal his legacy. They pull that off I’ll move him to number 5 right now
But since they didn’t I’d say 5-10 and moving up

It was a shame. The storybook element of completing a 3-0 comeback to win a first Cup is about as unbeatable of a hockey accomplishment as one can have.

For now, we wait. It’s coming though.

 

[Grifter3511]

Lemieux would never be outscored by Kucherov and MacKinnon though. From 1988-97 he only lost the art ross if he was injured that season. And it was to Gretzky anyway.

So maybe some of the other guys in the league currently are f***ing awesome too?

 

[LDX]

I also believe there is now a top 5 in hockey, rather than a Big 4. I would hope we grew enough as a specie to understand the context around a Cup rather than blaming a poor guy for things he does not control.

 

[Video Nasty]

Lemieux would never be outscored by Kucherov and MacKinnon though. From 1988-97 he only lost the art ross if he was injured that season. And it was to Gretzky anyway.

McDavid was injured last season. He simply played through it for most of the year, but my main point is as follows.

It’s going to be uncomfortable for people to consider, because there’s a lot of childhood nostalgia wrapped up in it saying otherwise, be it first-hand or legends told around the campfire, but maybe just maybe, Kucherov and MacKinnon are better than every other player minus Gretzky that Lemieux had to contend with.

Look at 1991-1992 as an example. He played 16 games less than his own teammate, Stevens, who was second in the league—are we going to pretend he was an elite? All we ever hear is how Mario played with bums. Pretend Gretzky doesn’t exist as usual.

Brett Hull is our next highest point total and PPG, with 109 in 73. The rest of the top 10 rounds out with all players playing 79 or the full 80 games, and scoring from 102-107 points. That is during a season where league scoring was 11% higher than last season. In some of those situations, it all comes down to circumstance and who the competition happened to be and how they performed during a given year. Look at a year where he lost and would have won with more games played like 1989-1990. Scoring was 18% higher than last season and Messier and Yzerman topped out at 129 and 127 while missing just one game apiece.

Kucherov is better than anyone Lemieux played against other than Gretzky, who is better than everyone ever. While I’m not comfortable to put MacKinnon in that group just yet, he certainly seems to be playing his way into that distinction as well.

 

[BlueMed]

The problem with these posts is that lack of specification regarding what we are even ranking here. Is it skill, points, or significance to a particular franchise? You're not going to get a consensus when everyone is ranking him based on something different.

 

[oilexport]

99
66
Conner

 

[PaulD]

This gets asked every couple months .

We all know he's going to go down as one of the greatest. Top 10 ....then top 5.
Then it will be the discussions and opinions on which ( if any ) of the other 4 he better than. Or not.

As of present time ...... Oilers and Aves could trade Mack for McD and it would be pretty much a wash

 

[benfranklin]

Assuming his career ended TODAY (which is what the OP asked), he would be a top 50 NHL player of all time IMO and the biggest "what if".

Currently 173 overall in scoring
5 Art Ross's
3 Hart's
4 Lindsay's
1 Rocket
1 Conn Smythe (losing)
0 Cups
0 Olympic Golds

We all know his ceiling is a top 5 player of all time, but he needs the longevity and the Cups now.