Bigger Legacy impact?

[Video Nasty]

For now, he is in the group of great offensive stars with Dionne

No, he’s well above that group.

I don’t mind people needing the Cup win to suddenly figure out he’s one of the five greatest players to ever step onto the ice.

That said, he’s probably in a tier of offensive players where only Gretzky and Lemieux top him.

The frenzy we saw on these very boards when McDavid nearly led the Oilers all the way back from a 3-0 deficit is a taste of things to come. Even die hards like @Nathaniel Skywalker threw in the towel and proclaimed him top 5 and ranked higher than Crosby after Game 5.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Messier wasn't in the same tier of player though. This makes no sense.

But if you are saying that Messier was a winner, then Crosby has that over McDavid. He has won at every he has played.



But Crosby has had the better career which is the point of the OP.

He doesn't though.

Only Gretzky, Hull and Mario have more Ross wins.

Only Gretzky, Hull and Shore have more Harts.

Only individual achievement he has over McDavid is more SCF disappearing acts.

 

[Felidae]

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.

If we're going by this logic, then Kucherov winning the Art Ross 3 or more times would be an accomplishment only done by Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe, McDavid, Jagr, Lafleur, Mikita and Esposito..

A slightly more rare and imo, impressive accomplishment since the hart can be narrative driven at times.

Not to mention, I think it would elevate his all time rankings by quite a bit since that means he out produced prime McDavid, the best offensive player since Lemieux, 3 times while being 3 years older.

 

[WalterLundy]

No, he’s well above that group.

I don’t mind people needing the Cup win to suddenly figure out he’s one of the five greatest players to ever step onto the ice.

That said, he’s probably in a tier of offensive players where only Gretzky and Lemieux top him.

The frenzy we saw on these very boards when McDavid nearly led the Oilers all the way back from a 3-0 deficit is a taste of things to come. Even die hards like @Nathaniel Skywalker threw in the towel and proclaimed him top 5 and ranked higher than Crosby after Game 5.

This is it right here. A cup win and a second smythe would make him a firm 5th all time and after only 10 seasons/age 28 if it happens this year. I personally already have him 5th but I feel like a Stanley cup victory is the only thing holding him back from the 5th spot as it stands currently in the eyes of many.

 

[Fatass]

No, he’s well above that group.

I don’t mind people needing the Cup win to suddenly figure out he’s one of the five greatest players to ever step onto the ice.

That said, he’s probably in a tier of offensive players where only Gretzky and Lemieux top him.

The frenzy we saw on these very boards when McDavid nearly led the Oilers all the way back from a 3-0 deficit is a taste of things to come. Even die hards like @Nathaniel Skywalker threw in the towel and proclaimed him top 5 and ranked higher than Crosby after Game 5.

And in the most important game (7 of the Final) McDavid didn’t get it done. It’s an opinion based question. Imo the greatest if the greatest separation from the great players (like Dionne) is leading at least one club to a Cup. McDavid is fabulous and clearly one of the greats. But imo he knows the Cup is needed to cement his legacy with the top tier.

 

[Video Nasty]

And in the most important game (7 of the Final) McDavid didn’t get it done. It’s an opinion based question. Imo the greatest if the greatest separation from the great players (like Dionne) is leading at least one club to a Cup. McDavid is fabulous and clearly one of the greats. But imo he knows the Cup is needed to cement his legacy with the top tier.

Not everyone is as blessed as Crosby who can sit for most of Game 7 and watch his teammates secure his first Cup win, making sure he didn’t have to wait until his 11th season to get his first Cup and Conn Smythe.