Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Prime Yzerman?
- Thread starter DitchMarner
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tabness
be a playa 🇵🇸
- Apr 4, 2014
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Yzerman ainec
genx meat and potato icon vs zoomer kale and chickpea paste nerd
genx meat and potato icon vs zoomer kale and chickpea paste nerd
Its actually closer than most people think.
Yzerman was better at a younger age and then his offence dropped when he got older
Mackinnon took awhile to get going
Both were top 3 players of there respective era
Yzerman was behind 66 and 99
While Mackinnon is behind Kucherov and Mcdavid
you could even argue hes #2 in the league
Also I feel like he's just more of a game breaker than Yzerman ever was
I prefer Mackinnon over Stevie Y just more explosive
Yzerman was better at a younger age and then his offence dropped when he got older
Mackinnon took awhile to get going
Both were top 3 players of there respective era
Yzerman was behind 66 and 99
While Mackinnon is behind Kucherov and Mcdavid
you could even argue hes #2 in the league
Also I feel like he's just more of a game breaker than Yzerman ever was
I prefer Mackinnon over Stevie Y just more explosive
VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
The lamest-looking goal ('cuz he had only one good leg) earned Yzerman the goal that put him over Howe careerwise. ... You cannot replay that goal without the CONTEXT of the video above linked.
Prime Yzerman may have been the youngster scoring 100+ points a year in a conference Edmonton owned.
But prime Yzerman to me is a leg down, yet gonna win...
Prime Yzerman may have been the youngster scoring 100+ points a year in a conference Edmonton owned.
But prime Yzerman to me is a leg down, yet gonna win...
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Michael Farkas
Celebrate 68
Let's just see how well MacKinnon's game holds up and what adaptations he makes when the athleticism starts to dip...then I'll revisit this.
I understand it's a prime question. But he's still in it. And it's about to be tested.
I understand it's a prime question. But he's still in it. And it's about to be tested.
DitchMarner
It's time.
I've heard he was Crosby's favorite player. I'm not sure how much of the younger Yzerman he saw or remembers. He may have become his favorite when he was winning Cups in the late 90s. This is an example of a player who added a ton to his career and legacy post-prime.
hamzarocks
Registered User
f*** the nostoliga its Mackinnon
Ray Bourque was a better player at that time as well, as was Messier
He was 5th at best
No way Yzerman was 3rd in mid 80s to mid 90s period
Ray Bourque was a better player at that time as well, as was Messier
He was 5th at best
VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
NOSTliga aside, whatever that is...
Yzerman was clearly the best near Torontoian since (and maybe prior to) the Swedish. (Unless that Czech was closer)
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Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
seventieslord
Student Of The Game
If MacKinnon ages as gracefully as Yzerman, he will be ahead. He'll be ahead of Sakic, too. But there's a long way to go still.
DitchMarner
It's time.
I love watching MacKinnon in the playoffs. No doubt he's a great performer in the post season (certainly better than Matthews). But it does feel like he's put up a lot of points in series where his team has just wrecked some trash opponent in the first round.
Granted, points are points.
Granted, points are points.
Staniowski
Registered User
Yeah, Yzerman was the favourite player of a lot of hockey fans. A lot. Without a doubt one of the most popular players in history. It started with a bang in the 2nd-half of the '80s when he was THE star of NHL highlight reels, and of course continued later with team success. Even now, I know many, many people who'd say Yzerman is their all-time favourite player. On par with Wendel! Probably even more.
Staniowski
Registered User
Yes, MacKinnon is better than Yzerman. And better than Lafleur; a lot better than Dionne; a lot better than Mikita.
I like the way MacKinnon has progressed. He has his obvious talents that he's had all his life, and he also has some challenges in his game. But he works very hard and continues to improve.
He's likely going to blow by many great players on the all-time scoring list, as long as he has pretty good health.
I like the way MacKinnon has progressed. He has his obvious talents that he's had all his life, and he also has some challenges in his game. But he works very hard and continues to improve.
He's likely going to blow by many great players on the all-time scoring list, as long as he has pretty good health.
Felidae
Registered User
- Sep 30, 2016
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Eh. Sakic aged better than Yzerman imo.
Yzerman had 1 season finishing top 10 in points 30+. Sakic had 5 seasons finishing top 10 in points including runner up to the Art Ross twice. All after 30.
Yzerman does have the better selke record post 30 but not like Sakic's was bad. Sakic however, was on a different level offensively comparing their post 30 careers.
so I don't agree with if Mackinnon ages like Yzerman he passes both.
As for the OP. Mackinnon's offensive prime is already on the level of Sakic's. Another interesting comp would be to compare Mackinnon's 2023-24 season to Yzerman's 1988-89 season.
Nick Hansen
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- Sep 28, 2017
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Four top-three finishes (one being the winner) in Hart voting within a seven-year window is pretty crazy. Aside from the greats, how many can compete with that?
Voight
#winning
MackInnon obviously has to contend with McDavid but you should probably omit Gretzky and Lemieux from Yzermans voting records (if you've already done that ignore me)
CokenoPepsi
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- Oct 28, 2016
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Yzerman was not a top 3 of his generation (depending how you define generation) I'd say he not even top 5 as he clearly behind Messier/Jagr
VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
There is a reason for that.
I loathed Detroit almost as much as the Leafs. But... i could not ever not clap my hands at Yzerman & Yushkevich (two Y's! I just now see...). Sundin, too. (Sorry, could not in good conscience mention a 2nd Red Wing. .. unless i could reach back to Howe (whom i never saw in a building).
May Detroit & Toronto go to the special place in hell designated for wherever the ol'Arizona team ends up. . ... Ottawa? Utah? Same-same.
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MadLuke
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- Jan 18, 2011
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Not sure about clearly behind Messier, but Jagr did not feel at the time to be in Yzerman generation, Yzerman is an 1983 draft pick, rookie in 1984 that peaked around 1989.
Jagr is an 1990 draft pick, rookie in 1991 that peaked around 1999, once Jagr entered the conversation for best player in the world it was past Yzerman being in it, he was never in his ways.
That time gap between the 2 is very similar to MacKinnon and say Crosby, 2013 vs 2005 draft, and their gap feel a bit similar (once Mack got in the best player conversation it was past Crosby time, maybe they even had overlapping prime more than Jagr-Yzerman).
Other way to look at it if we put Jagr-Yzerman in the same generation in that type of conversation, Ovechkin won 6 rockets since Mack entered the league.
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Michael Farkas
Celebrate 68
Wouldn't Yzerman's HR page at a glance look similar if 99 and 66 didn't exist? It'd be littered with...stuff...no?
Not that Mac didn't go against anyone. But 99 and 66 were a different level of gatekeepers at his position...
Not that Mac didn't go against anyone. But 99 and 66 were a different level of gatekeepers at his position...
jigglysquishy
Registered User
I think the 11 years separating Gretzky and Jagr is enough to consider them separate generations.
VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
99 and 66 should be doctored out of any discussion of their peers... they define OUTLIER!
Jagr was seen as a semi-god to those two gods. For good reason. He had the talent. But he didn't have the heart. What we called in the locker room "the burn". Conn Smythe would not go into an alley with that guy.
A curious question: how many Czechs think Jagr was greater than Hasek? ... they are in the same region of all-time talk...
Jagr was seen as a semi-god to those two gods. For good reason. He had the talent. But he didn't have the heart. What we called in the locker room "the burn". Conn Smythe would not go into an alley with that guy.
A curious question: how many Czechs think Jagr was greater than Hasek? ... they are in the same region of all-time talk...
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CokenoPepsi
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I think he'd have one Ross and one Hart if you remove 99 and 66.
Still think he at best 4th best center of his time
