How Great Would Gretzky Be If He Played In The Modern Era? (post-lockout)

[doublechili]

Just like in today’s NHL, Bobby Orr wouldn’t seem quite so fast, and Bobby Hull’s slapshots would get blocked most of the time.

Bobby Orr's skates:

Bobby Hull's stick:

I suspect they'd both do just fine. The guys blocking Hull's shots? Maybe not so much.

 

[Rusty8719]

You think he'd be a ~120 pt player?
There are multiple players these days putting up 120+ points per season.

I think if prime Gretzky was playing right now, he'd be a ~170 pt player. He was that far ahead of his peers.

I mean, yes.

Gretzky being so far ahead of his peers in 1985 isn't really relevant because he certainly wouldn't be ahead of his peers in 2025.

Controlling for the 1985 vs 2025 athlete, I think the gap between his relative skills and the skills of top players today has shrunken dramatically.

I think Gretzky could be counted on to rack up obscene assist totals but I don't think he'd be a goal scoring machine. It would be much, much harder for him to "think" his way to goals like he did back then. 120 assists and 50 goals doesn't plausible with Gretzky's relative tools.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

There was an awesome thread title: "Boone Jenner in the 1920's."

Same thing holds true.

 

[blundluntman]

At his absolute best, I could definitely see a 50-60 goal 120 assist stat line.

He's definitely a better playmaker than Kucherov/McDavid so that's an easy bet, and he had a very accurate shot.

Keep in mind, when McDavid won the rocket in 2022-23, most of his newfound goalscoring came from a well developed deceptive/accurate wrister he fired around the hashmarks and on the breakaway; it wasn't all bayonet range stick-handling like his highlights would suggest.

Gretzky with his competitive drive would definitely gun for at least 1 or 2 rockets and put in the work necessary to at least be a 50-60 goal scorer. He'd flirt with 100 assists in his sleep in his prime. My guess would be 160+ during his prime at the very least. He was still 2ppg on a weaker LA team in his late 20s after all.

 

[Oddbob]

He might be even better. No 2 line pass, he would have eaten defences alive with. Yes, goalies and defence are better now, but so would the training and gear he would use, plus we all know great players get it done, regardless of era and Gretzky dominated his peers by way more than anyone ever. You also can't even touch players now, so Gretzky wouldn't even need the bodyguard that many like to claim he "needed" to be as good as he was, which means possibly a higher quality linemate to finish off his passes.

 

[Sens With Benefits]

There was an awesome thread title: "Boone Jenner in the 1920's."

Same thing holds true.

Zdeno Chara in the 1920’s would be wild.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Best player in the league obviously. Even after his peak he was competing for the scoring title against the 90's greats.

Wouldn't put up those crazy 80's stats though. My only question is the goal scoring. Gretzky never really scored that much, by his standards, once the goaltenders figured out the position.

 

[gstommylee]

He would be annihilated behind the net. Retired after 10 games.

you do realize the game way way way more physical with enforcers back in the 80's and 90's than it is now. Enforcers nowadays are the thing of the pasted and the head shots are has been longer allowed since early the last decade.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Zdeno Chara in the 1920’s would be wild.

I wish I could find that image of Chara holding the cup with lasers coming out of his eyes and the Vancouver riots are going on.

 

[nbwingsfan]

35 goals, 95 assists.

Curious where people get these sub 40G predictions. This is the guy with the 2nd highest goal total and the highest single goal record in the NHL.

What does that make the other best goal scorers during those eras? 20g guys? 15g guys?

Do you really think Thompson, Guentzel, Connor, JT Miller, etc are better goal scorers than Gretzky?

Crazy talk

 

[majormajor]

Curious where people get these sub 40G predictions. This is the guy with the 2nd highest goal total and the highest single goal record in the NHL.

What does that make the other best goal scorers during those eras? 20g guys? 15g guys?

Do you really think Thompson, Guentzel, Connor, JT Miller, etc are better goal scorers than Gretzky?

Crazy talk

In a good year I could imagine Gretzky scoring more than those guys. But 40G is hard to get if you don't have a wicked wrist shot. Watching Gretzky highlights and it is incredible assists but mostly goals that today's goalies would handle without a problem.

We're all to some degree imagining Gretzky with a better release with a modern stick. Do you just imagine him as the best shooter?

The game has changed so much. Especially how shooting works. I imagine some goal scorers from the 80s would be big scorers today and some wouldn't, we don't know how they would adjust to today's sticks and scoring techniques.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Curious where people get these sub 40G predictions. This is the guy with the 2nd highest goal total and the highest single goal record in the NHL.

What does that make the other best goal scorers during those eras? 20g guys? 15g guys?

Do you really think Thompson, Guentzel, Connor, JT Miller, etc are better goal scorers than Gretzky?

Crazy talk

I get where they are coming from.

Gretzky's goalscoring really went down a lot once the butterfly goalies took over. His shot isn't all that impressive by today's standards, it would need work. It's not like Lemieux who would be picking corners no matter who he is facing.

 

[nbwingsfan]

In a good year I could imagine Gretzky scoring more than those guys. But 40G is hard to get if you don't have a wicked wrist shot. Watching Gretzky highlights and it is incredible assists but mostly goals that today's goalies would handle without a problem.

We're all to some degree imagining Gretzky with a better release with a modern stick. Do you just imagine him as the best shooter?

The game has changed so much. Especially how shooting works. I imagine some goal scorers from the 80s would be big scorers today and some wouldn't, we don't know how they would adjust to today's sticks and scoring techniques.

The idea is he’s been given modern training just like everyone else today. He’s not being dropped into the NHL with 1970s training.

 

[dekelikekocur]

Gretzky in 2025 would have 2025 equipment and 2025 training methods so you have to factor that in if you think Gretzky sort of looked like a weakling or wasn't the fastest skate, etc.

All that being Said I am guessing he tops out at about 150-160 points in a good year

He would also face 2025 goalies.

Looking at the 81-82 season, the top goalie with min of 20 games played had a .911 sv% 10th was .885
2025 #1 is .924 with 11th being .911, to get to .885 you'd have to go past the top 50 of 2025 who #50 was .889. 3 players in the 81-82 had a sub 3.0 GAA, 42 players in 2024-2025 season had a sub 3.0 GAA.

 

[nbwingsfan]

I get where they are coming from.

Gretzky's goalscoring really went down a lot once the butterfly goalies took over. His shot isn't all that impressive by today's standards, it would need work. It's not like Lemieux who would be picking corners no matter who he is facing.

Butterfly goaltending was around since the 70s. His goal scoring really dropped as he aged like most players do and some pretty nasty injuries

We’re talking about a guy with the histories best hockey IQ. I’m sure with modern training, he’s scored a hell of a lot of goals.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Bitterly goaltending was around since the 70s. His goal scoring really dropped as he aged like most players do and some pretty nasty injuries

We’re talking about a guy with the histories best hockey IQ. I’m sure with modern training, he’s scored a hell of a lot of goals.

I think so too. But at least there is something to consider there unlike with some other former greats. You could pop a peak Mario in today's game and he would be scoring a ton of goals, Gretzky would need some work.

 

[majormajor]

The idea is he’s been given modern training just like everyone else today. He’s not being dropped into the NHL with 1970s training.

Right, I get that you would imagine Gretzky with a modern shot, but does that mean you just imagine he would have the best wrist shot?

Like we have a lot of very good players with all the modern training and they still have a wide range in shooting ability. Like Marner and Bratt have modern shots and modern training. I'm imagining Gretzky as a better goal scorer than them, maybe around Kucherov level.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Right, I get that you would imagine Gretzky with a modern shot, but does that mean you just imagine he would have the best wrist shot?

Like we have a lot of very good players with all the modern training and they still have a wide range in shooting ability. Like Marner and Bratt have modern shots and modern training. I'm imagining Gretzky as a better goal scorer than them, maybe around Kucherov level.

It takes a hell of a lot more than a good shot to score goals at a high level.

Creating and getting into open space is just as, if not more important. Something Gretzky greatly excelled at

 

[umma gumma]

I get where they are coming from.

Gretzky's goalscoring really went down a lot once the butterfly goalies took over. His shot isn't all that impressive by today's standards, it would need work. It's not like Lemieux who would be picking corners no matter who he is facing.

You don't know what you're talking about. Gretzky had a very accurate slap shot. Top corner's are still in the same place they were when Wayne played, he had no trouble finding them. It'd venture it'd be easier with today's sticks.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

You don't know what you're talking about. Gretzky had a very accurate slap shot. Top corner's are still in the same place they were when Wayne played, he had no trouble finding them. It'd venture it'd be easier with today's sticks.

The slapper is not used nearly as much anymore. There often just isn't that much room to pull one off. Releases are getting quicker and quicker, wait even a bit and the Goalie/Dmen adjust and get in the way.

 

[LuckyDay]

Wayne not only changed the game by his skill and style, but it adjusted itself based on it. When there is a player like Gretzky another player is assigned to defend against him where Wayne exploited playing "out of position" because in those places no one was covering i.e. behind the net he learned as a 14 year old protecting himself from 18 year olds. As well, more innovations have been found and the players are much more athletic in this era. Today, all coaches match lines. All goaltenders now play the butterfly style so scorers can't exploit the weaknesses of the stand up style.
The league has adjusted itself for players of his style and can skate just as fast. Wayne would have to start working out earlier. As well, he can not go to the front of net as much as he used to since defenders collapse much more often.

 

[umma gumma]

The slapper is not used nearly as much anymore. There often just isn't that much room to pull one off. Releases are getting quicker and quicker, wait even a bit and the Goalie/Dmen adjust and get in the way.

The slapper is used all of the time on the power play along the half wall, and the smartest player the game has ever seen would find a way to create space to get off the necessary shot, its what he excelled at.

 

[Strangle]

Gretzky was significantly better than his peers. He would still be. Modern equipment, training, all the pampering players get nowadays, no two line pass, etc. At the age of 37, he was still competing in the scoring race with prime Jagr, Forsberg, and Bure.

Oh don’t get it twisted, if Gretzky played today the two line pass would be put back in almost immediately.

1-2 seasons of 150 assists for Gretzky is all it would take to reinstate the redline

 

[Strangle]

I’d go lower because I think his goal scoring would be down a lot. He averaged 65 goals per year in Edm. Guess that depends on the finish by his teammates.

His goals could conceivably go up. Goaltending is such a solved science right now in history and every goaltender plays exactly the same way that Wayne would know what the goalie was going to do before the goalie knew himself.

 

[Strangle]

Today's tending is much better than the '80s and '90s. IMO, despite that Gretzky would still be great. With modern equipment and training and his skills, he would still dominate.

Better is relative.

Goaltending is also much more predictable today. Which would favor Gretzky