Bigger Legacy impact?

[daver]

Many things are on the table this season for four of this era's best players.

1. A Cup and likely Smythe for either McDavid/Draisaitl.

2. Art Ross/2nd Hart for MacKinnon

3. A 3rd Ross for Kucherov

4. A Rocket/2nd Hart/possible 2nd Ross for Draisaitl

Which of these four will be the most impactful in terms of overall legacy?

Click to read more...

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Easily 1

 

[Golden_Jet]

In before thread lock
Stanley cup

 

[Idiot Stick]

Lady Byng for Sam Bennett

 

[daver]

A Smythe for Draisaitl could be the biggest one as it would erase any doubts of McDavid's influence on his numbers and maybe make him the clear #2 of this era. A Smythe for McDavid effectively erases the perceived gap between him and Crosby.

 

[Paper]

Yeah, I think you have to separate a Smythe for Draisaitl. I think that could be the biggest legacy impact as it will help him get out of McDavid's shadow. But I think it's far less for McDavid. McDavid will still go down as best player of his era regardless. We'll be talking about him 20 years from now and his speed. If he doesn't get a Cup he'll just go down as the best player without one on top of it.

But I think another MacKinnon Hart Trophy will help MacKinnon's legacy the most. Back-to-back Hart's, the first since Ovechkin? There's only been 11 players to do that. The others are Howie Morenz, Eddie Shore, Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Bobby Orr, Bobby Clarke, Guy Lafleur, Wayne Gretzky, and Dominik Hasek. That's a list of players that elevates anyone's legacy. And when new fans are looking at Wikipedia in 30 years, he's not some one-off, they'll have to make the case that he was the best player even against McDavid since he won the Hart twice in a row during McDavid's prime. Add on the Art Ross and it impacts his legacy the most I think far down the line.

 

[Fatass]

McDavid needs to lead his club to a Cup to move into the top tier of greatest all time players. For now, he is in the group of great offensive stars with Dionne.

McDavid needs to lead his club to a Cup to move into the top tier of greatest all time players. For now, he is in the group of great offensive stars with Dionne

 

[Paper]

McDavid going Cup-less, assuming he sticks with Edmonton, is more of a black mark on the Oilers. Not McDavid. This isn't even the same argument that could be used against (pre-Cup) Ovechkin since Ovechkin did have post-seasons where he didn't look great (relatively to him) and his numbers weren't that impressive.

McDavid just put up 42 points in 25 games in the playoffs. Only two guys named Lemieux and Gretzky have scored more. Is anyone going to be questioning his post-season abilities in 50 years from now? Anyone going to be saying "He just wasn't made for the playoffs." No it's going to be "The McDavid Oilers management are the most inept of all time."

 

[Midnight Judges]

We're likely to have well over a thousand games for McDavid when all is said and done. Placing an enormous value on game 7 from one SCF - as if this makes or breaks McDavid's legacy - seems largely arbitrary to me.

 

[daver]

McDavid needs to lead his club to a Cup to move into the top tier of greatest all time players. For now, he is in the group of great offensive stars with Dionne.

Naw, he is knocking on the door of the Top 10 at this point, well above players like Sakic, Yzerman and Trottier.

 

[10YearsHaveGone]

A Smythe for McDavid effectively erases the perceived gap between him and Crosby.

Perceived by who? I think its pretty widely accepted that McDavid is the better player at this point.

 

[Voight]

Kucherov already has two Art Ross' (that are also two of the highest point totals post lockout) which is more than anyone not named McDavid in the last decade. I don't see how a third would make much of a difference.

 

[10YearsHaveGone]

Kucherov already has two Art Ross' (that are also two of the highest point totals post lockout) which is more than anyone not named McDavid in the last decade. I don't see how a third would make much of a difference.

3 Art Ross' is quite the accomplishment. Only players with more are Gretzky, Howe, Lemieux, Esposito, Jagr, McDavid, and Mikita. Lafleur and B. Hull both have 3 too. I think a 3rd Ross for Kuch is the 2nd biggest potential accomplishment on this list.