FrankSidebottom
Registered User
- Mar 16, 2021
- 635
- 742
Best player in the world: 2018
- Thread starter FrankSidebottom
- Start date
-
Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates
jigglysquishy
Registered User
- Jul 30, 2016
- 3,291
- 3,606
My pick is McDavid but I also feel like I should at least mention Mackinnon. He had a huge breakout year this season and basically was McDavid's equal in ppg. Tbf he had better linemates to work with which makes a difference but he was very dynamic in his own right. As good as he was though, McDavid was simply better at his best (in particular during the 2nd half of this season when he went on an insane tear). I also have to mention how incredible Kopitar was with his selke trophy and 92 points. And of course, Hall was pretty damn good this year too. It's been quite a few seasons since this many players all had a case for a hart trophy IMO. McDavid should probably win this one but I don't think he'll have a unanimous argument until his 2020-21 season tbh.
Last edited:
- Feb 10, 2010
- 14,656
- 11,772
There were a whole bunch of players playing at a similarly high level in 2018.
Ovechkin probably had the best combination of regular season and playoffs though - led the regular season and playoffs in goals while winning the Conn Smythe.
Ovechkin probably had the best combination of regular season and playoffs though - led the regular season and playoffs in goals while winning the Conn Smythe.
EdJovanovski
#FreeRempe
Wings4Life
Registered User
Malkin was 3rd in points per game (fourth in total points), and scored the most goals out of anyone in the top 10.
He also outplayed a healthy Crosby, and deserves some love in this poll.
He also outplayed a healthy Crosby, and deserves some love in this poll.
TheGoldenJet
Registered User
Malkin and McDavid were both much better than Ovie this year.
I agree that Malkin has a case for 2nd or 3rd best player this year. I wish that this poll was set up to vote for a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd each year rather than just a vote for best. Would probably give a more accurate picture of the top 3 each year than how it is currently set up.
jigglysquishy
Registered User
McDavid was so far ahead of the rest of the league. It was only 5 years ago. I don't know how people forget how good he was and how bad the Oilers were.
McDavid outproduced everyone pretty cleanly while having by far the least help.
In on 47% of team offense is crazy.
| Player | Points | Even Strength Points | Primary Points | % of total team offense |
| McDavid | 108 | 84 | 80 | 47.2% |
| Malkin | 98 | 60 | 74 | 36.3% |
| MacKinnon | 97 | 64 | 77 | 38.4% |
| Hall | 93 | 55 | 69 | 38.3% |
| Ovechkin | 87 | 56 | 69 | 34.0% |
McDavid outproduced everyone pretty cleanly while having by far the least help.
In on 47% of team offense is crazy.
One of the years where I think best season is harder than best player. I would probably still give McDavid the edge for best season, but there was a bunch of guys you could make a case for. But I think with the idea behind the polls, McDavid is the best player from either this point or the year before until currently.
FrankSidebottom
Registered User
- Mar 16, 2021
- 635
- 742
Yeah, I wish it was this way as well but unfortunately it’s pretty much impossible to do within one poll with the current poll creation settings. Otherwise it would be too long to make it for every single year.
FrankSidebottom
Registered User
- Mar 16, 2021
- 635
- 742
I wish it was possible to make subpolls or somehow to make its structure more flexibly. It’s like to make one major 2018 poll and inside you have three separate subpolls for a 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
I think the negative on him is that his production really shot up once the games didn’t matter, and how much that was in part due to teams playing more lax against them. He had 14 goals and 37 points in his final 21 games. Though I think the other side of the coin is that the Oilers not only had a weak PP that was likely in part due to luck, but also that they were dead last in PP opportunities. McDavid still managed 20 PP points on the team’s 31 PP goals, but with even an average number of PP opportunities, his point totals almost certainly would have gone up, even if it cut into his ES time some.
jigglysquishy
Registered User
Ya if they were even league average in PP opportunities he likely jumps 10 points.
Last in big PP opportunities and PP%.
Yet he still put up 20 PP. As much as 2nd and 3rd highest Oilers that year combined.
The 17-18 Oilers were truly awful.
jigglysquishy
Registered User
| Player | Points | Even Strength Points | Primary Points | % of total team offense |
| McDavid | 108 | 84 | 80 | 47.2% |
| Malkin | 98 | 60 | 74 | 36.3% |
| MacKinnon | 97 | 64 | 77 | 38.4% |
| Hall | 93 | 55 | 69 | 38.3% |
| Ovechkin | 87 | 56 | 69 | 34.0% |
| Kucherov | 100 | 64 | 72 | 34.5% |
Still way back of McDavid.
Video Nasty
Registered User
- Mar 12, 2017
- 5,981
- 10,550
Not really a valid negative though, since he essentially hasn’t stopped since the calendar turned to 2018; 665 points in 407 games (1.634 PPG), 2 Harts (+2 additional finalists + 2 additional top 5s), 3 Lindsays, 4 Art Rosses (+2 runner ups), and 66 points in 36 playoff games.
His play in the second half of 2017-2018 isn’t some weird one off that needs to be pointed to as something he could only pull off when the games didn’t matter. It was the start of a run of greatness that is already approaching 6 consecutive years, where he has played all but 15 games.
Last edited:
Eight fewer points (in two fewer games) in the regular season is easily outweighed by Kuch’s three-round PPG postseason performance.
I understand that the way polls are set up doesnt allow for that. Good work on this project Frank.
Appeal to popularity is not a valid argument.
Well, sure, as I said in my first post, the best player idea of the thread is easy, with McDavid starting either this season or the year prior and extending to today. I was just commenting on the season at hand. Hot streaks are part of the game so I’m not discounting it completely or suggesting he can only do it in meaningless games, but it is something to consider when looking at his season.
The one who is capable of producing an intelligent argument and defending his position with something other than a fallacy, yes.
jigglysquishy
Registered User
When judging the individual players it's important to put them into context.
Yes, Kucherov had a great playoffs. But he also played on a stacked team. First in GF. Finished first in the east in points. Vasilevsky finished 3rd in Vezina voting and Hedman won the Norris. Stamkos finished only 14 points back of Kucherov. The team was stacked, evidenced by breaking point records the following year and then making 3 Cup Finals in a row. Tampa had 6 50 point scorers.
The Oilers were awful. Only McDavid and Draistaitl hit 50 points. Only the aforementioned and Nuge hit 40 points.
When comparing two players the fact that Kucherov had a Norris winner, Vezina caliber goalie, and a resurrected Stamkos all playing together on a deep team is absolutely important to consider. It was McDavid, baby Drai, and a mostly AHL calibre team.
McDavid cleanly outproduced Kucherov in the RS at both EVP and Primary Points.
We are comparing McDavid to Kucherov. Not Nurse to Hedman or Talbot to Vasilevsky.
We see it repeated in 2018-19, when McDavid outproduced Kucherov at EVP, despite being 12 points back in the scoring race.
Yes, Kucherov had a great playoffs. But he also played on a stacked team. First in GF. Finished first in the east in points. Vasilevsky finished 3rd in Vezina voting and Hedman won the Norris. Stamkos finished only 14 points back of Kucherov. The team was stacked, evidenced by breaking point records the following year and then making 3 Cup Finals in a row. Tampa had 6 50 point scorers.
The Oilers were awful. Only McDavid and Draistaitl hit 50 points. Only the aforementioned and Nuge hit 40 points.
When comparing two players the fact that Kucherov had a Norris winner, Vezina caliber goalie, and a resurrected Stamkos all playing together on a deep team is absolutely important to consider. It was McDavid, baby Drai, and a mostly AHL calibre team.
McDavid cleanly outproduced Kucherov in the RS at both EVP and Primary Points.
We are comparing McDavid to Kucherov. Not Nurse to Hedman or Talbot to Vasilevsky.
We see it repeated in 2018-19, when McDavid outproduced Kucherov at EVP, despite being 12 points back in the scoring race.
