McDavid in the 80s

[CMDEADLY]

Dude, this is bananas.

On the one hand, if a guy could teleport, sure, he probably would be able to put up an enormous amount of points because the things we understand about fitness, health, training, etc, are far advanced.

However, if you don't teleport and you assume Mcdavid was born during this time, he would not be close to Gretzky and would likely fall behind some other players of that time period.

It's always shocking to me that people don't realize just how good Gretzky was. He wasn't just scoring these points in some simple goal era. He was literally, at times, nearly doubling the guy who came in second.

Let's take 1984 for example. Gretzky scored 205 points that year. The next closest guy was his TEAMMATE Paul Coffey at 126 points. He outscored him by nearly 80 points. There were only 12 guys that year that even crossed the 100 points barrier and 4 of them were Oilers!

The scoring is surely lower today, but if you do the math, the difference between expected GPG does not equate Mcdavid to anywhere near Gretzky's level of play.

The reason people think that era was so crazy is mostly because Gretzky's stats were so nuts. If Gretzky didn't exist and you take the third highest scorer (first non-Edmonton player) he had only 122. That's not really an outrageous number today to lead the league.

Gretzky was basically double as good as anyone when he was playing for Edmonton. Can you seriously say that the next best player in the league behind McDavid is half as good as him. Please.

It's a real shame you didn't get to watch Gretzky play.

That's not the premise of the thread. It's taking modern players as is and teleporting them.

Mcdavid would not fall behind others and neither would Sid if born in that era but, they would be considered in the elite and generational players of that generation as well. This idea that modern players are second liners or won't do well in other eras I don't understand.

You put Lebron and Jordan back in Wilt's time and there would be 3 100 point game players. It's just silly to think imo that modern players don't light a candle to the past. I don't see how honestly.

The best new player of the 90's had injuries in Lindros, and the best player of the 00's is sid. I think generational players translate regardless of Era it's just a matter of living up to potiential.

 

[Yamborghini]

Something to consider: Mario Lemieux, the only other player to hit 75 goals in the 80s, put up 91 points in 67 games in 2003. In other words, he still dominated in the twilight of his career over players that are still in the NHL today...

The inadequacy of 80s defending and goaltending is overstated as heck.

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

Lemieux had a 1.7 ppg average in 01. That's about 160 pts.

Yea, so I would say this even indicates that my estimate is probably on the lower end of possibilities. A healthy Lemieux and Gretzky could feasibly surpass 200 today.

I always felt it was a real disservice to the hockey world that we never fully witnessed Mario's potential.

 

[CMDEADLY]

Yea, so I would say this even indicates that my estimate is probably on the lower end of possibilities. A healthy Lemieux and Gretzky could feasibly surpass 200 today.

I always felt it was a real disservice to the hockey world that we never fully witnessed Mario's potential.

I don't agree but that's your porgative, they would both put up 40-60 goals, 60-80 assist. They would be rediculous, but not out of reach if the Salary cap wasn't so reductive to teams.

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

That's not the premise of the thread. It's taking modern players as is and teleporting them.

Mcdavid would not fall behind others and neither would Sid if born in that era but, they would be considered in the elite and generational players of that generation as well. This idea that modern players are second liners or won't do well in other eras I don't understand.

You put Lebron and Jordan back in Wilt's time and there would be 3 100 point game players. It's just silly to think imo that modern players don't light a candle to the past. I don't see how honestly.

The best new player of the 90's had injuries in Lindros, and the best player of the 00's is sid. I think generational players translate regardless of Era it's just a matter of living up to potiential.

I never said they'd be second line players. They'd quite obviously be first line players. Your problem is, you seem to confuse generational players and literal, once in a life time players. Gretzky is not a generational player. Sid, Mcdavid, etc, they are like Mark Messier. A great player, a hall of fame player, a generation player, but not even remotely close to the conversation for the best ever.

Think about it this way, it's not implausible to conceive a player being drafted that competes with Mcdavid for best player in the world. Hell, it's not impossible to imagine Matthews or someone of the like having the occasional better season. It was literally impossible to imagine Gretzky not being the best. In fact, there was no doubt who would win MVP before the season started.

I'm sorry, but if you truly believe that Mcdavid and Crosby should be in the discussion with Orr, Gretzky and Lemieux, you're out to lunch.

I assume you never got to see either play and have only watched a few youtube clips. You should try and watch full games from that era and you'll get a much better indication for just how dominant these 2 players were.

Furthermore, your basketball analogy is piss poor. Lebron is actually, quite possibly, the best NBA player ever. That has no overlap with the current situation in hocky. There is absolutely no possibility we are witnessing the best hockey player in history right now. None, nada. Such a conversation topic is not even remotely serious. The only thing I would say, it's possible, at least in my opinion, that we are witnessing the best goal scorer in hockey history with ovechkin. But not best player. I think Ovechkin is quite possibly the best goal scorer ever. But I'm sorry, overall player, Mcdavid is just not close. He won't even surpass Gretzky's assist total if you add all his points at the end of his career.

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

I don't agree but that's your porgative, they would both put up 40-60 goals, 60-80 assist. They would be rediculous, but not out of reach if the Salary cap wasn't so reductive to teams.

I'm gonna show myself out. It's a shame you love hockey so much and completely fail to understand its history.

 

[Machinehead]

He'd get trucked and career would be over in his rookie season.

C'mon, now we're not being fair to McDavid.

Gretzky was like 130 pounds lol.

 

[CMDEADLY]

I'm gonna show myself out. It's a shame you love hockey so much and completely fail to understand its history.

I watch every chance I can and have studied the game a lot. I just don't agree that Mcdavid wouldn't be in the same stratosphere as Gretz when the moves and speed he used to beat defenders in those crazy point seasons weren't out of this world.

Goaltending is the main difference in these cases. While you say I don't understand the history, I think I do. I just want people to realize they were human, and acting like they are untouchable because the modern guys don't touch their point amount is off.

Poinrs aren't all that matter in hockey even though it's the topic of discussion. The reason those two put up so many is defenses couldn't stop them and when they tried they left guys wide open for the best players in the league to feed.

The transcendence to legend isn't built totally on the skill and talent of the player it's the hockey IQ and that is reachable. It's just the average player now is better than the average player then.

Lemieux putting up 91 in 67, is exactly why I think they are touchable. Ir's not like his knowledge of the game isn't inaccessible to others. You just had to learn it in an era of creativity.

The structure and otherwise today is strong to try to get rid of that creativity creating tighter games.

It's the reason goal scoring is ticking back up because teams realized the way to score more goals was speed and skill(which lemieux and Gretzky had in spades) and not grinding and enforcers.

 

[Sojourn]

Lemieux and Gretzky’s head for the game and talent was inaccessible to others, so the premise that other players could learn it is flawed. Other players haven’t shown they can learn it.

That’s like saying anyone could play like Lidstrom(who was a superstar, but nowhere close to Gretzky or Lemieux). You just need to teach players to be smarter, right? And yet, here we are, and no one can play like him, at that kind of level, and with that kind of consistency.

You can try, but there is a special something that allows some players to think and perform at higher levels. No matter what you teach, players have limitations and for whatever reason Lidstrom was thinking the game at a level above what most were capable of.

 

[Richard Banger]

McDavid wouldn't be on the same level. Mainly because McDavid is the player he is today because of Gretzky.

Also let's make another thread. Give Gretzky the modern training and equipment and the modern rules of the NHL (no water skiing or massive interference) and how many points would he score? 400+? Probably.

 

[Future GOAT]

Better than Gretzky + Lemieux + Orr + Howe.

I don't know about better than Gretzky, that may be a bit much, but I think McDavid would routinely challenge for best offensive player in the league against Gretzky and Lemieux back then. Especially if McDavid was on a solid offensive team. McDavid's speed alone would be something none of those guys would be able to deal with back then. Then we need to look at the fact that he isn't just the fastest player but has some of the best hands, vision, anticipation and hockey IQ the game has ever seen.

McDavid in the 80s would be an absolute nightmare for the league.

 

[talitintti]

At least five points per game.

 

[tntkid]

McDavid would need a couple of goons to protect him in that era like Gretzky had.

 

[psycat]

No way he is close to as great of a player as Lemieux or Gretzky even in a vacuum so maybe 50 goals, 90 assists kind of production. But that's with 80s equipment won't even bother with a fantasy scenario where he came with his current stick+skates would be a bit like trying to argue that I probably would beat the best gladiator of Rome if I brought a uzi.

 

[psycat]

I also wonder what McDavid would do in an era in which goalies got beat by low and visible 50 mph slapshots from the blueline.

But the only hightlights you see are the ones were they do get beat, you seem to believe every shot fitting your criteria wen't in.

 

[Holymakinaw]

Here's McDavid in the mid-80's.....

 

[ScrewParros]

He scores one too many times one game against a hard nosed old school team, and one of their goons simply jumps or runs McDavid. He would then be concussed or seriously injured. McDavid's speed would be used against him to MURDER him with a hit in the 80's. He would not last long without a guardian like the great 99 had.

 

[Future GOAT]

He scores one too many times one game against a hard nosed old school team, and one of their goons simply jumps or runs McDavid. He would then be concussed or seriously injured. McDavid's speed would be used against him to MURDER him with a hit in the 80's. He would not last long without a guardian like the great 99 had.

Nah, dudes would be tripping over themselves trying to hit him while he's just too quick and went around them or side stepped them like pylons. Then McDavid's goons would put them in their place for even trying to.

 

[ScrewParros]

Nah, dudes would be tripping over themselves trying to hit him while he's just too quick and went around them or side stepped them like pylons. Then McDavid's goons would put them in their place for even trying to.

If only we could wind back the clock to when Hockey was not full of visor vaginas and wasn't afraid of all physical contact. Huh?.

 

[SML2]

Scott Stevens would crush him with a perfectly legal shot to the head ala Paul Kariya. McDavid gets shamed into getting back out there by an undereducated team doctor who diagnoses him with a "rung bell" and makes it worse. Full blown CTE ensues, McDavid falls on hard times because he can't get out of bed due to the constant post concussion syndrome, and becomes the first person in history to be forced into retirement before they were actually born.

 

[ScrewParros]

Scott Stevens would crush him with a perfectly legal shot to the head ala Paul Kariya. McDavid gets shamed into getting back out there by an undereducated team doctor who diagnoses him with a "rung bell" and makes it worse. Full blown CTE ensues, McDavid falls on hard times because he can't get out of bed due to the constant post concussion syndrome, and becomes the first person in history to be forced into retirement before they were actually born.

No you don't understand, you cannot hit McDavid because he is the fastest. Read above Oilers fanboy posts. Nobody can hit McDavid. Becuz' Speed.

 

[Sugi21]

I’m guessing he gets his head taken off by Stan Jonathan during the 81-82 season!!!!

 

[OilCanada92]

I don't know about better than Gretzky, that may be a bit much, but I think McDavid would routinely challenge for best offensive player in the league against Gretzky and Lemieux back then. Especially if McDavid was on a solid offensive team. McDavid's speed alone would be something none of those guys would be able to deal with back then. Then we need to look at the fact that he isn't just the fastest player but has some of the best hands, vision, anticipation and hockey IQ the game has ever seen.

McDavid in the 80s would be an absolute nightmare for the league.

I don't know if it's true but I've been told that Gretzky would eat like 10 Northlands hotdogs before every game. If McDavid time traveled to the 80s, he'd like be better than Gretzky because of what Gretzky wasn't doing to prepare for games. It was just different back then. Gretzky was about 185 pounds when he played and he was a twig. If he had today's training, he'd probably be over 200 pounds. If McDavid trained like Gretzky did, he'd probably be around 170 pounds instead of 190.

We'll never know but it's my opinion that if Gretzky was 21 years old in 2018, he'd be dominating McDavid right now.

 

[3074326]

He scores one too many times one game against a hard nosed old school team, and one of their goons simply jumps or runs McDavid. He would then be concussed or seriously injured. McDavid's speed would be used against him to MURDER him with a hit in the 80's. He would not last long without a guardian like the great 99 had.

So you think McDavid is going to get dumber and lose his vision. Interesting take. It's almost like you're just advocating for violence like you do in every thread. Only it's thinly veiled as wanting to go back to old school hockey.

 

[ScrewParros]

So you think McDavid is going to get dumber and lose his vision. Interesting take. It's almost like you're just advocating for violence like you do in every thread. Only it's thinly veiled as wanting to go back to old school hockey.

Are you angry that I express my opinion on more than one thread?. Deal. With. It.

I’m guessing he gets his head taken off by Stan Jonathan during the 81-82 season!!!!

Look another violent brute who agrees with me!. Just " advocating violence "