Is McDavid a poor captain?
- Thread starter Booker T
- Start date
T REX
Registered User
- Feb 28, 2013
- 11,718
- 11,138
All I can say is that I could never see McDavid leading a trashy cheer yelling to F someone else.
Maybe he doesn't have that killer instinct that a Cpt needs...the hate your opponent component...don't know
He's so much better than everyone else...so maybe he is a poor choice for CPT
IDK
Maybe he doesn't have that killer instinct that a Cpt needs...the hate your opponent component...don't know
He's so much better than everyone else...so maybe he is a poor choice for CPT
IDK
Fatass
Registered User
- Apr 17, 2017
- 25,940
- 21,268
Imo a good captain is one who’s teammates will go through a wall for to help win. They will sacrifice both on and off the ice. They train harder. They play harder. He leads them. The Oilers’ players do that for McDavid. Many posters (and others) have stated the Oilers are a lot of average players and McDavid and Draisatl. Those average players got to two Cup Finals in a row. That’s some average players giving all they have. And that is the definition of a good captain.
Gravity
Generational Poster
Stupidest poll on HF. Some of y'all must not know anything about hockey Jesus. Guy won the Conn Smythe on the losing team last year. He is not part of the problem in Edmonton.
Asinine
yer opinion is wrong
- Feb 28, 2013
- 1,922
- 4,050
All he cares about is points and his legacy. He only wants a cup for his own legacy not because he has a fire burning in him to win. His rant in the dressing room during the finals last year sounded like a spoiled rich kid not getting what he wanted for the first time ever.
Czechboy
Easy schedules rule!
- Apr 15, 2018
- 24,212
- 33,122
This guy sucks. No way he should make the Olympic team. He'll ruin Canada's chances at winning. Stupid loser.
Signed by the entire Czech hockey team who just happens to be Canada's first opponent in the best on best 2026 Olympics!
Signed by the entire Czech hockey team who just happens to be Canada's first opponent in the best on best 2026 Olympics!
Merely noting that this exact thread came up about five years ago.
Would suggest that whether McDavid is a good captain isn't the right question, but it is whether McDavid is a good leader, which isn't exactly the same.
As was related repeatedly in the earlier thread, the problem with this inquiry is that the only persons who could really answer this question are his current or former teammates, and they are not participants in these HF discussions. Nobody but them knows what goes on during practices, in the locker room, the in-game chatter, or what is said or not said at the steakhouse after the game.
About the only thing that can reasonably be discussed is whether McDavid's efforts towards leadership manifests itself on the ice. Otherwise stated, does it seem or not seem that McDavid motivates his teammates to elevate their on-ice play, other than the raw application of his own natural talents? But even that seems pretty speculative one way or the other.
Perhaps a more worthwhile discussion is how McDavid compares in this regard to Matthew Tkachuk who is obviously a leader (if Matthew Tkachuk isn't a leader then that term has no meaning with the NHL).
Would suggest that whether McDavid is a good captain isn't the right question, but it is whether McDavid is a good leader, which isn't exactly the same.
As was related repeatedly in the earlier thread, the problem with this inquiry is that the only persons who could really answer this question are his current or former teammates, and they are not participants in these HF discussions. Nobody but them knows what goes on during practices, in the locker room, the in-game chatter, or what is said or not said at the steakhouse after the game.
About the only thing that can reasonably be discussed is whether McDavid's efforts towards leadership manifests itself on the ice. Otherwise stated, does it seem or not seem that McDavid motivates his teammates to elevate their on-ice play, other than the raw application of his own natural talents? But even that seems pretty speculative one way or the other.
Perhaps a more worthwhile discussion is how McDavid compares in this regard to Matthew Tkachuk who is obviously a leader (if Matthew Tkachuk isn't a leader then that term has no meaning with the NHL).
Fatass
Registered User
- Apr 17, 2017
- 25,940
- 21,268
Clearly McDavid motivates his teammates. Are the Oilers full of great players or are they McDavid + Draisatle and a whole lot of average guys? Imo McDavid sure does a damn good job of motivating those average guys to be a lot better than they actually are.
pld459666
Registered User
Agree. It would tax reality to suggest that a team which got to the SCF two years in a row suffered from poor leadership. The question then becomes how McDavid's leadership should be rated, but that is both highly speculative and highly subjective.
So, topic exhausted already, close the thread.
Panthaz89
Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Panthers fan
Shorthanded points indicating the guy is playing with the puck in the opponents end in a 4v5 situation? Where is the stats that back up Crosbys defensive prowess because McDavid blows him out at pretty much everything except faceoffs. So other than narrative what do you have to actually back it up? +/- takeaways penalty killing all favor McDavid heavily if we measure Crosby for what he did by the same years of playing time as McDavid who dominates his opponents much harder.
This is just a rudimentary view of the sport. There are many reasons why this could be. Playing in the opponents' end is generally not one of them, most shorthanded goals are scored off the rush, not from a cycle while down a man.
I'm not saying this is the case for McDavid, but a player making risky plays to steal the puck could increase his offensive opportunities shorthanded, yet still be a detriment overall every time he pulled himself out of position.
By your logic Gretzky was the best penalty killer ever.
Sol
Smile
- Jun 30, 2017
- 23,550
- 22,829
His biggest problem is that Draisaitl is no Kane. Draisaitl absolutely needs McDavid to carry him while Kane never really needed Toews.
Draisaitl needs McDavid to drive the play to get him open because he cannot do it by himself. It’s so clear when anyone watches him.
Panthaz89
Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Panthers fan
Ok but where is the argument FOR Crosby....didn't he literally get outscored head to head against Zetterberg in his very first finals? What's so complete about that? Am I missing something or isnt that straight up losing your head to head and having the rest of the team win for you which is a luxury McDavid clearly doesnt have. Like where is the more "complete" player. This isnt even taking into account McDavid dancing around both Ekblad and Barkov like they were a joke on one play to get shutdown by Bob who was amazing pretty much all series and then watching Marchand go around your team like beer leaguers when you step off the ice and have your goalie give up a goal on any quality chances.
Im pretty sure most metrics actually backup McDavid being an all around player as well.
McDavid is barely above 50% GF% in his playoff career at 5v5 without Draisaitl on the ice.
And metrics should be taken with a grain of salt in McDavid's case. From another thread, the Oilers' GA skyrockets when he or Draisaitl is on the ice with a lead:
In layman's terms, he's statpadding instead of focusing on securing the win.
CanadienShark
Registered User
- Dec 18, 2012
- 37,461
- 15,282
It's hard to say. I think he's an incredibly hard worker and can really lead by example. I think he can* also show a ton of composure and maturity. At times he unravels. I don't think he's a particularly great team leader in the charismatic sense, but obviously does it well in others.
KeithIsActuallyBad
Fire Dustin Schwartz
koyvoo
Registered User
- Nov 8, 2014
- 18,701
- 22,162
KeithIsActuallyBad
Fire Dustin Schwartz
koyvoo
Registered User
- Nov 8, 2014
- 18,701
- 22,162
And I suppose Florida would’ve won back to back cups and made 3 finals appearances in a row with Skinner as well.
KeithIsActuallyBad
Fire Dustin Schwartz
Probably. I don’t think Bob was honestly even all that good in the Finals this year.
Hippasus
1,9,45,165,495,1287,
CantHaveTkachev
Accruing Cap Space
But what came first, the chicken or the egg? Do great captains win cups or do captains become great after winning cups?
0-2 in Stanley Cup finals. By that point Crosby was 1-1 but Crosby was anything but clutch when they won their first cup. In fact, he was less clutch than McDavid. But he was definitely clutch in 2010, just like McDavid was clutch at the four nations.
Id argue the leadership/clutch level of their careers have taken very similar trajectories.
Latest posts
-
Trade: [HOU/PHX] Kevin Durant for Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, 2025 1st round pick, 5 2nd round picks (5 Viewers)- Latest: Terry Yake
-
-
-
-