For Those Who Think McDavid Is Better Than Lemieux....

[Plastic Joseph]

That tier 1 with those 5 already exists imo and won't change by the end of McDavids career. Maybe Hasek can go in there too. But for forwards for me it's 1 Gretz 2 Mario 3 McDavid and it's going to remain like that for the rest of McDavids career

Mcdavid isn't ahead of Howe yet on "all time lists".

It's basically impossible to compare eras at this point though. Post expansion era I would agree those 3 are easily the 3 best forwards

 

[The Shadow]

I don’t get the McDavid hype. Yes he’s great but many nights he’s not even the best player on his own team

Lemieux was next level talent. The best ever in my opinion

 

[braunm]

Yeah, that’s a load of BS.

The game is faster because they don’t interfere like they used to… McDavid would look way slower in Mario’s era.

And better, more lightweight skates with completely different blades. The equipment has changed more than anything

 

[chethejet]

Hard to make the argument as the best when you don't rise to the occasion in the SC finals. If Florida is healthy, they roll this team. But his skill is special. Crosby had Mario to help in his maturation and that made a difference.

 

[paracord]

Anyone who thinks McDavid is in Lemieux's class are either very young or very caught up in modern hype.

McDavid is like the 3rd best goal scorer on his own team. Lemieux never woke up a day in his life, save for maybe when he was 41 playing with an 18 year old Crosby, where he wasn't the best goal scorer in the world, let alone his own team! And that includes the 1987 Canada Cup team. That alone ends the conversation.

Let's cut the nonsense now. McDavid is a fantastic player. Definitely may even crack the top 5 at some point. But he's nowhere near Lemieux or Gretzky at the pinnacle of the mountain. And he never will be.

 

[Fatass]

Anyone who thinks McDavid is in Lemieux's class are either very young or very caught up in modern hype.

McDavid is like the 3rd best goal scorer on his own team. Lemieux never woke up a day in his life, save for maybe when he was 41 playing with an 18 year old Crosby, where he wasn't the best goal scorer in the world, let alone his own team! And that includes the 1987 Canada Cup team. That alone ends the conversation.

Let's cut the nonsense now. McDavid is a fantastic player. Definitely may even crack the top 5 at some point. But he's nowhere near Lemieux or Gretzky at the pinnacle of the mountain. And he never will be.

when McDavid can separate his point totals so far from the other players that in hockey pools he’s divided into two players like was done with 99 and 66 (goals or assists) then he can be considered in their company.

 

[Nathaniel]

Wait there is people that think mcdavid is better than lemieux?

 

[Lou Sassole]

You do understand why goalies had to wear smaller pads in that era, right? You also understand the skaters were on old, dull tube skates and of soft ice with 2X4’s for sticks?
66 and 4 were head and shoulders better than this iteration of players.

Man, I can't believe we're to a point where people are doubting the dominance of Lemieux. I'm a f***ing old school Caps fan who hates the Penguins, but it drives me nuts when people try to diminish his talent and dominance. He's the most talented player ever, and it isn't particularly close. He played on the same team as Jagr, another all time great, and he was miles ahead of him.
People are really discounting how physical/physically taxing the game was back then. Go watch Lindros, kariya, etc... get lit up. That would be McDavid under those rules. Now, if you brought prime lindros into today's game, where he couldn't be head hunted, he would be unstoppable. He was a bigger, faster, meaner Wilson, with top 10 hands and shot. Back to Lemieux, he had over 90 points in like 67 games in the early 2000's as a broken down 36-37 year old, how does anyone think he wouldn't rip this current league apart?

 

[paracord]

Ask yourself this question. Would the Oilers be where they are without McDavid? Any knowledgable hockey guy would answer. No, they would not be where they are without McDavid. McDavid is a great captain and he can carry a team. the problem is the Oilers rely on him way too much to carry this team and he simply got wore out by the time the final series came around. It is that simple, you cannot ride one player that hard and expect him to deliver every game. It is just too much and Mcdavid as great as he is cannot do it. The bigger problem with the Oilers is their coach and his stupid consistent pulling of your starting goaltender. it creates a big distraction and a confidence problem with the team. Even Wayne said it. If you haven't figured out who your guy is by the cup finals you have a very big problem. No team has pulled their goaltender like Knb has and won the Cup.

Of course they wouldn't. But the greats have all figured out how to will their team to a win. McDavid still may, but he hasn't yet.

 

[paracord]

Who has ever said that he was better than mario?

A LOT of people. Mostly younger Oilers fans!

 

[5Jack0]

The fact that this conversation is happening proves how great Mcdavid is. Don’t get the hate he gets. Wayne and Mario won on stacked teams, Wayne left Edmonton and never won again, after the two stacked Penguins teams failed to win 93 Mario never got close on average teams. Did they stop being great all of a sudden, or maybe it takes more than a couple players to win a Cup? This Oilers team was laughably overmatched vs Florida. If prime Wayne or Mario are on this oilers team instead of Mcdavid, the result is the same.

 

[Mohar Ikram]

Big 4 is Big 4 for a reason lol. Just basically score 1.5 PPG every year means nothing lol.

 

[Zalos]

Yeah, that’s a load of BS.

The game is faster because they don’t interfere like they used to… McDavid would look way slower in Mario’s era.

No. The game is faster because hockey players today are better than hockey players in the past. From an early age, players today have better training, diet, habits, etc. The fact that you can look at the video posted by OP and be blind enough not to see how much slower the game was being played is insane.

And be eating glass all night.

Against players from the 90s? None of them would be able to touch him.

McDavid isn't even as good as Crosby or even Malkin.

I watched Crosby play from junior to now. Talent-wise McDavid is definitely better than both him and Malkin. He is already a top 5 player all-time.

Players were stronger in the past.

They weren't. What you are using is what we might call nostalgia-colored glasses

The kids don’t understand how extraordinary Mario was in the early 90’s.

Mario played during the 2 line pass era, which naturally slowed the game down.

I agree about Mario, but it wasn't the 2-line pass that made the game slower than it is today. It's that most players back then were slower.

 

[Phil68]

Watch this shift from Lemieux in the clinching game of the 1991 SCFs. Draws a penalty on a 5 on 3 with an absurd takeaway, strips another player on the same shift when it is 5 on 4, then goes down and undresses the goalie on a breakaway - all in the same shift. He just had another level offensively and defensively in the playoffs that McDavid, or anyone in history, simply does / did not have. Most talented player of all time:

And i am going to add, the second coming of Mario Lemieux, or closest, Lemieux played with him. His name is Jaromir Jagr. Post 1st retirement of Lemieur Jagr had no one to play with with Outside Ron Francis. Jagr had a strong hold on the entire league in winning 5 Art Ross and 3 in a row 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001.

 

[And Bust It Is]

I doubt anyone thinks McDavid is better then Lemieux, but Lemieux played with teams that were stacked with talent when he won his Cups. No Podkolvin's, Kapanen's, or Brown's in their top 6. Jagr's, Steven's, Recchi's, and Tocchet's in theirs.

 

[Three On Zero]

McDavid first captain not to be able to win the cup after returning to the finals in back-to-back seasons...that's quiet an accomplishment.

Two of the biggest games in McDavid’s career (finals elimination games) and he’s looked like a casual 4th liner. Concerning stuff from your captain

 

[Fiji Water]

"Lemieux is slow". Look at how quickly he pulls away from all the players chasing him from behind.

 

[93gilmour93]

Mcdavid is great but he's no Mario

 

[93gilmour93]

I don’t get the McDavid hype. Yes he’s great but many nights he’s not even the best player on his own team

Lemieux was next level talent. The best ever in my opinion

Agree 100%

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Mario could play more physical, would lay the body and had the better ability to fight through checks. McDavids game is purely built on speed. When teams take that time and space away, McDavid struggles.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Even if he won the cup, McDavid wouldn't be above Lemieux.

 

[The Shadow]

Imagine Lemieux with no obstruction hooking ?

Add another 200 career points due to less wear and tear on his body and ability to make plays without guys waterskiing behind him

 

[3074326]

Ah it must be shit on McDavid day here on HFBoards. McDavid is a top 10 talent we have ever seen. Not being better than Mario isn’t an insult, and this topic is f***ing stupid.

 

[nturn06]

Wait there is people that think mcdavid is better than lemieux?

No, but this is the best time to pound on the Oilers fans...

You know, invent something and then criticize that thing...

 

[jigglysquishy]

It’s Gretzky, Lemieux, McDavid

Orr and Howe were both better than Lemieux though.