OT: Generational Players

[Lafleurs Guy]

You are mistaking the 80's for the "Dead Puck Era".

McDavid would feast on post 80's post expansion defencemen who could barely skate.

They don’t have to skate when they can just drape themselves all over you. Dead puck era or not. Look at Kaspiritis in ‘93. That wasn’t the dead puck era and the NHL let him mug Lemieux for the entire series. That never should’ve been allowed.

While Lemieux would still be amazing he would also have to deal with a level of consistently big, strong, fast and skilled players defending against him.

Take a look at his first shift in his first NHL game. He made Ray Bourque look like a clown annd scored. And he did it more than once in his career.

It's not the just the exceptional players that are so impressive in the current NHL, it's the depth of talent that is so much better than anything post expansion. It's a MUCH harder league to separate yourself in.

It’s a faster league but a big part of that is the rules. No obstruction and no red line. Lemieux would feast on that.

 

[Silky Johnson]

They don’t have to skate when they can just drape themselves all over you. Dead puck era or not. Look at Kaspiritis in ‘93. That wasn’t the dead puck era and the NHL let him mug Lemieux for the entire series. That never should’ve been allowed.

Take a look at his first shift in his first NHL game. He made Ray Bourque look like a clown annd scored. And he did it more than once in his career.

It’s a faster league but a big part of that is the rules. No obstruction and no red line. Lemieux would feast on that.

There is no doubt that Lemieux is amazing and would be a star in any era. You very much underestimate how much the depth of the league has improved and how much more skill there now is.

The period between expansion and the dead puck era makes for about 90% of the top 50 point season my a player of all time.

McDavid is an outliers in that he has but up multiple top 50 seasons out of that era. To think he wouldn't skate circles around 80 era expansion defencemen, who needed training wheels on their skates, is ridiculous. Smaller, slower, less skiled players where able to excel, why wouldn't he?

Conversely, Lemieux never had to face the depth of talent that McDavid faced. He would still be a generational talent but his numbers would drop, so would Gretzky's.

 

[DAChampion]

You are mistaking the 80's for the "Dead Puck Era".

McDavid would feast on post 80's post expansion defencemen who could barely skate.

While Lemieux would still be amazing he would also have to deal with a level of consistently big, strong, fast and skilled players defending against him.

It's not the just the exceptional players that are so impressive in the current NHL, it's the depth of talent that is so much better than anything post expansion. It's a MUCH harder league to separate yourself in.

In 2016 (recent enough) a 44 year-old Jaromir Jagr got 66 points in 79 games. How would a 24 year old Jagr have done then?

 

[CHwest]

When comparing players, there will always be differences in environment. Wooden sticks, fitnes, goalie equipment… and on the whole today’s athletes are better. But that doesn’t mean that elite players from the past wouldn’t be elite today.

Lemieux and Greatzlynwould still be the best players in the league.

I believe Lemieux would certainly hold his own, I don't believe Gretzky would fair as well (in the sense of being the best in the league), especially in the goal scoring dept. A lot of his goals were scored off the rush with a slap shot, that doesn't happen anymore, goalies are to good and players are not given that time any more.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

There is no doubt that Lemieux is amazing and would be a star in any era. You very much underestimate how much the depth of the league has improved and how much more skill there now is.

The period between expansion and the dead puck era makes for about 90% of the top 50 point season my a player of all time.

McDavid is an outliers in that he has but up multiple top 50 seasons out of that era. To think he wouldn't skate circles around 80 era expansion defencemen, who needed training wheels on their skates, is ridiculous. Smaller, slower, less skiled players where able to excel, why wouldn't he?

Conversely, Lemieux never had to face the depth of talent that McDavid faced. He would still be a generational talent but his numbers would drop, so would Gretzky's.

I’m sorry but I completely disagree. At age 43 Jagr put up 66 points in 79 games on an unimpressive roster. No those aren’t dominant numbers but it was good for 22nd in the league. And that was with a dip in league scoring. Age 43!

You think he wouldn’t have led the league at 25? You think prime Mario wouldn’t have absolutely crushed that?

We have the benefit of getting a glimpse of what Lemieux could do as an old man under the new rules. He smashed the league. Imagine him in his prime.

He would happily take the trade off in opposition quality if it meant no obstruction and no red line. He would be unstoppable.