Nathan MacKinnon, on par with the best in business?

authentic

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
26,418
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Hmm, now what could possibly be in play here?

Yes, no one thought Benn was better—that’s why it was an embarrassment for Crosby to finish behind him twice in a row. So why could there possibly be an interest in crowning a pair of far better players than Benn, Tavares, Kane, and so on, so quickly when they had their likely peak, perfect storm seasons while McDavid was battling nagging injuries all season long?

Hmm, it’s almost as if we’re here, ten or so years later, and Crosby’s legacy must be protected because someone better showed up after him and has dominated more than even the most optimistic what if projections attributed to Crosby.

Weird how the mindset has shifted from not making stupid comments about Benn actually being better than Crosby to oh, MacKinnon in particular is better than McDavid because he had one perfect season while McDavid was injured level of stupidity?

Couldn’t possibly be Crosby fans in thinly veiled disguises protecting their hero in a roundabout way.

Your response only makes sense to me if you glossed over the part where I still said McDavid is #1. Like it or not when someone outscores everyone for 2 straight calendar years they atleast enter the discussion.
 

authentic

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
26,418
11,411
1. I change how I talk when interacting with certain members. @authentic is one where I level up my intensity because he gives as good as he gets and vice versa.

I’ve noticed you being condescending, so I’ve tailored our passing interactions accordingly.

2. The Oilers incompetence is widely known by this point. McDavid, while presumably an intelligent modern athlete, knows management will use and abuse to cover up their shortcomings. Yet he’s also the best at his craft and a highly competitive athlete who is still not even 28 years old. He will do what it takes to rejoin them as quickly as possible to help them win as much as possible. There’s no incompetence on his part.

McDavid had already won three Harts, been a finalist two other times, and been a top 5 nomination over the course of the previous seven seasons, while scooping up 5 Art Rosses and 4 Lindsays. He is judged against his own already higher standard than the next best players.

He’s battling that perception, so when the next best two players in world go out and have world beater seasons while fully healthy, and one of them had a reputation for always being the bridesmaid for the Hart, that one is going to be given it at the next best reasonable opportunity. It doesn’t mean MacKinnon didn’t earn it, it doesn’t mean he didn’t deserve it, but it is questionable to read much of anything into McDavid receiving a lone first place vote.

One minute I think we’re friends the next you hit me with stuff like this 😆

It’s all in good fun anyway if I have been condescending it’s not intended, I have had mostly positive conversations on here lately with you and the rest of board from what I recall.
 
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Video Nasty

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Mar 12, 2017
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One minute I think we’re friends the next you hit me with stuff like this 😆

It’s all in good fun anyway if I have been condescending it’s not intended, I have had mostly positive conversations on here lately with you and the rest of board from what I recall.

We’re good. You’re definitely not condescending. I meant I have so fun with you by going overboard sometimes with the McDavid stuff.

MacKinnon outscored him by 6 points in 2023 because he played 8 more games.

Let’s hold off on crowning him for 2024, since we still have over 5 weeks left.
 
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CantHaveTkachev

Cap Space > NHL players
Nov 30, 2004
52,358
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St. OILbert, AB
McDavid goin to Utah or LA or TOR or NYR or 90% of cities instead of Edmonton would be great for the game.
Nah, the NHL will always be small potatoes in the US...no matter where the "stars" play

he just lead the Oilers to one game away from the Cup and his best friend just re-signed for 8 more years...he's not going anywhere else to chase a Cup, despite the crying and whining from other fanbases

his legacy is winning with the team that drafted him
 
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benfranklin

Registered User
Jun 29, 2024
538
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Actually now I’m starting to wonder if McDavid would really score more with Makar and company.
1000000% would.

Rantanen => Draisaitl
Makar >>>>> Bouchard
Toews >>>>> Ekholm
Girard >>>>> Nurse
Nichushkin >> RNH
Mittlestadt >> Hyman
Drouin >>>> Skinner
Lehkonen >> Arvidsson
Goalies suck for both teams

Without McDavid, that is a lottery team.
 

PainForShane

formerly surfshop
Dec 24, 2019
2,863
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1000000% would.

Rantanen => Draisaitl
Makar >>>>> Bouchard
Toews >>>>> Ekholm
Girard >>>>> Nurse
Nichushkin >> RNH
Mittlestadt >> Hyman
Drouin >>>> Skinner
Lehkonen >> Arvidsson
Goalies suck for both teams

Without McDavid, that is a lottery team.

Not really. Draisatl's won the Hart and scores 50 goals / 100+ points regularly. Maybe it'd be 40 / 90 without McDavid but he'd still be dominant, or maybe stays the same because additional opportunity. And if the team had another 12m or so in cap space they'd finally be able to get a halfway decent goalie and maybe a legitimate first pair defender to play with Ekholm.

I'm not saying they're better off without McD (not even close), but without him they're still clearly a playoff team, maybe even winning a round or two depending who they play against



Actually now I’m starting to wonder if McDavid would really score more with Makar and company.
If you take away Draisaitl the answer is no
 

benfranklin

Registered User
Jun 29, 2024
538
433
Not really. Draisatl's won the Hart and scores 50 goals / 100+ points regularly. Maybe it'd be 40 / 90 without McDavid but he'd still be dominant, or maybe stays the same because additional opportunity. And if the team had another 12m or so in cap space they'd finally be able to get a halfway decent goalie and maybe a legitimate first pair defender to play with Ekholm.

I'm not saying they're better off without McD (not even close), but without him they're still clearly a playoff team, maybe even winning a round or two depending who they play against




If you take away Draisaitl the answer is no
Agree to disagree. Draisaitl consistently has had McDavid on the ice with him for upper 40's percentage wise.

His Hart year, was the goofy Covid shortened year and McDavid missed 7 games. Both of them were 2 of the 3 players in the top 30 to be minus on the season and the Oilers missed the playoffs. That has been the Oilers thing since McDavid came into the league for too many seasons. A zillion points, piss poor defensively, and missing the playoffs more often than they should.
 

PainForShane

formerly surfshop
Dec 24, 2019
2,863
3,296
Agree to disagree. Draisaitl consistently has had McDavid on the ice with him for upper 40's percentage wise.

His Hart year, was the goofy Covid shortened year and McDavid missed 7 games. Both of them were 2 of the 3 players in the top 30 to be minus on the season and the Oilers missed the playoffs. That has been the Oilers thing since McDavid came into the league for too many seasons. A zillion points, piss poor defensively, and missing the playoffs more often than they should.

And the other 60% of the time or whatever it is (haven't looked it up), Drai is still one of the top 5 or so centers in the league, and the rest of the team is much better than a lottery team (which is your initial claim that I pushed back on).

If you've seen any of the lottery teams this year (Chi, MTL, SJ etc), you'd realize how legitimately bad they are. Remove McD from the Oilers and they are still MUCH better than the likes of San Jose. You can keep arguing this if you want, but what you're saying is not correct
 

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