Nathan Mackinnon - the best player in the league

[wetcoast]

This Year both of Drai and Kaprizov are Tier 1...the others are close behind but without being biased it's clear that those two where the best until now...season is long and everything can happen but at this point MacK has done nothing better than Drai and Kaprizov this year.

Except score more points.

 

[benfranklin]

wow, which season are you counting then, this, or maybe you just take out not seasons before new years, or not after new year, home games only, wednesday and fridays dont count, exclude games satring before 7 pm local time, since you make the rules, which are the 2 season you talk about? when did they start and end then?

i think most people would agree that from 2022/23 till now is about 2 seasons, were not even half way in in this regular season yet, only NJ has played half of the 82, Tampa has 34, why dont make a comment on the numbers that i put up?

The guy literally said a couple and you replied saying the last 3 seasons. 2 is a couple. 3 is a few.

PS: How does the abbreviation of New Jersey and Tampa get you to use the shift/caps lock key, but not the beginning of a sentence?! That is wild.

Capitalization
cap·i·tal·i·za·tion
noun
2. The action of writing or printing in capital letters or with an initial capital.

In reality. You seem absolutely clueless about the player and team that now your throwing out blanket statements.

The team sucked so much, that it took a Pietroangelo 2 handed over the head slash to Leon's wrist in order for Vegas to win that series 2 years ago.

Lol right...just like McDavid has been injured for eternity now that he isn't the best player in the world, despite rarely missing any games.

Its pure stats at this point, Draisaitl plays 44% of his total time on ice with McDavid out there, plain and simple.

Except score more points.

Empty net points dont count on HF, havent you heard...

Product of Makar.

It’s no coincidence that MacK is only talked about in the same breath as McD, post Makar draft.

Finally some sense in this thread. Yes Makar is the best player in the world. MacKinnon is only the best forward.

 

[benfranklin]

Because MacKinnon outright refuses to leave the ice with an empty net in sight. I’ve read he has 20:00 ish empty net TOI this season compared to 6:50 for Kucherov. Not trying to hate since empty net points help put the game away, but MacKinnon certainly puts himself in positions to rack them up.

Lol so MacKinnon is refusing to leave the ice, staying out for longer than average shifts and telling Nichushkin or O'Connor or whoever to sit on the bench because he wants more points. Really?! That is your accusation?

 

[Greatzsky 99]

Lol so MacKinnon is refusing to leave the ice, staying out for longer than average shifts and telling Nichushkin or O'Connor or whoever to sit on the bench because he wants more points. Really?! That is your accusation?

What i FEEL is that goalies are pulled earlier and more often, and with scores like 1-4 nowadays. it kust my own speculation why EN points icreased, maybe someone have data.

Sometimes hockey seem to have its own politically correct standard, like mumblings about the team, i never look at the stats, that doesnt matter we won, i did i pass him?

well i hardly knew it, hes a legend... it would be refreshing if McKinnon say -heck yeah of course im gunning for the Art Ross, i will do all that i can to have one!! MF! (not that i am saying or even beliving McKinnon have that many ENP bacause of that)

But then he will be condemned by everybody, its strange when people always says we need personalities this and that, and when people reveal anything out of the box, then most are conservaties and bash the person...

sorry for the new years rant, it was only 1 game tonight, it did get big enough fix
Happy 2025

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Except score more empty net points.

Corrected it for ya

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Empty net points dont count on HF, havent you heard...

Oh they count, but they don't make the player better than others because they get more of them. The best players score the most points when the goalie is actually in net.

 

[benfranklin]

What i FEEL is that goalies are pulled earlier and more often, and with scores like 1-4 nowadays. it kust my own speculation why EN points icreased, maybe someone have data.

Sometimes hockey seem to have its own politically correct standard, like mumblings about the team, i never look at the stats, that doesnt matter we won, i did i pass him?

well i hardly knew it, hes a legend... it would be refreshing if McKinnon say -heck yeah of course im gunning for the Art Ross, i will do all that i can to have one!! MF! (not that i am saying or even beliving McKinnon have that many ENP bacause of that)

But then he will be condemned by everybody, its strange when people always says we need personalities this and that, and when people reveal anything out of the box, then most are conservaties and bash the person...

sorry for the new years rant, it was only 1 game tonight, it did get big enough fix
Happy 2025

Watching him his whole career, he seems pretty selfless and simply wants to win. Or if an EN situation arises and someone has 2 goals, they give the puck to Mac knowing hell find that guy for #3.

 

[Greatzsky 99]

Watching him his whole career, he seems pretty selfless and simply wants to win. Or if an EN situation arises and someone has 2 goals, they give the puck to Mac knowing hell find that guy for #3.

The guy literally said a couple and you replied saying the last 3 seasons. 2 is a couple. 3 is a few.

PS: How does the abbreviation of New Jersey and Tampa get you to use the shift/caps lock key, but not the beginning of a sentence?! That is wild.

Capitalization
cap·i·tal·i·za·tion
noun
2. The action of writing or printing in capital letters or with an initial capital.


Lol right...just like McDavid has been injured for eternity now that he isn't the best player in the world, despite rarely missing any games.

Its pure stats at this point, Draisaitl plays 44% of his total time on ice with McDavid out there, plain and simple.


Empty net points dont count on HF, havent you heard...


Finally some sense in this thread. Yes Makar is the best player in the world. MacKinnon is only the best forward.

Well, i am not native in english, and it was 30th years since i was in school, and we wrote by hand then, i am not schooled in writing on a computer, i know that i dont type by the rules, but its not uncomprehandable, and in swedish a couple is not always 2 it has a broader meaning and could be 3-4 "några" i missunderstood then.

So i showed data that was 2.3 total seasons, anyways, you have not responded to that anyhow you screw the data, 2 seasons 2 season from today, McDavid is higher than McKinnon.

You just could admit your mistake and say you wish it was otherwise, because he is your favorite player, but i dont think you will. You probably bash something other that i did wrong in this post, thats the end of this discussion on my part, have a good 2025

 

[Tralfamadore]

Except score more points.

Meh I think both of those guys are more deserving of the Hart as of now.

 

[RegDunlop]

Love NK
Not better than CMcD
Perhaps not even better than LD
But I'm biased.

Somehow I think he's forgotten as one of the greats of today. ( F him tho - he plays for the enemy!)

 

[Greatzsky 99]

i

Love NK
Not better than CMcD
Perhaps not even better than LD
But I'm biased.

Somehow I think he's forgotten as one of the greats of today. ( F him tho - he plays for the enemy!)

actually put him slightly above Drai.
3 more assists By McK tonight, hes having a hell of a sesaon, will he get 100 assists?
have 50 in 39... hmm feels familiar.. 50 more in 43 games

 

[Jack Spider]

Barkov.

McDavid was shutdown by Danault and Byron.

 

[JLo217]

Right now MacKinnon might be the best, but it's "right now". Next month it could be Draisaitl or Kaprizov or whoever. I don't think there is a point of comparing players in short term, and in long(er) term it's McDavid for me.

This season? Quinn Hughes. Kucherov, Draisaitl or MacKinnon. IMO.

Rantanen 3rd in points but he is finnish so he doesn't count. Same with the defensive god Barkov (who is apparently now overrated) with 33 points in 26GP. Also the most underrated player in the world Kyle Connor with 21+26=47 in 36GP doesn't make the discussion because he plays for the Jets.

Edit: and no i did not forget Makar, Reinhart, Eichel or anyone else but calling someone "best" is just really hard.

He’s been the best player since calendar year 23 started

 

[JLo217]

Kucherov has been the best player in the league for the past 2 years now. That's enough for someone to declare the number 1 in the league. Maybe age is catching up with the speedy playing style of 97. And MacKinnon is close but just a tad behind Kucherov. All praise MacKinnon, not enough love for the celebral Tampa Bay player which goes along his business more quietly. I don't think 97 will catch either of them this season. He doesn't look like the peak form of himself a couple of years ago. Too less pragmatic goal oriented plays. He hasn't adapted to a slightly less speed oriented playing style good enough and this lends me to believe he will age faster than a player like Draisatil or Kucherov. He is not in 99 or 66 league and I don't hate on him. I don't care how many Rosses he may still win and I doubt there will be many more if any. Just trying to give a neutral observation. The excuse of having nothing to prove in the regular season and concentrating on the playoffs and the stanley cup doesn't cut it for me. What if players like 66 or 99 thought like that. That's one of the reasons the truly greats of the game separate themselves from the normal star players along with their peak and prime performances and consistency (which I agree doesn't work for guys like Lemieux or Orr, but they were so much better than the rest of the league that they belong in this group). His 1 or 2 truly exceptional seasons statitistically seem to have been his peak. For 66 or 99 it would have been their average season in their prime. As good as Kucherov, Draisaitl or MacKinnon are, players like prime 66 or 99 wouldn't lose multiple scoring chases against them let's be real here.

lol no

 

[Greatzsky 99]

He’s been the best player since calendar year 23 started

well if we judge by points , No
since 23 started until now including tonights game.

McDavid 135 69 + 171 = 240 1.777 ppg
McKinnon 132 69 +149 = 218 1.651 ppg
Kucherov 119 61 +142 = 203 1.705 ppg

 

[benfranklin]

This is wrong. Cale Makar is the best player in the world.

 

[authentic]

MacKinnon is up to an 11 to 0 advantage in stat pad points vs McDavid and yet:

Pts/game:
McDavid: 1.63
MacKinnon: 1.61

IF McDavid had 11 empty net points vs 0 for MacKinnon the pts/game would look like this

McDavid 1.96
MacKinnon 1.31

I would hope the "best player in the league" would be crushing his competition in points with an 11-point head start

That’s also with McDavid scoring just 10 points in his first 11 games.

 

[HabsCode]

Mackinnon needs to chill. Dude has multi-points nights everytime I watch Avs boxescores on NHL.com . How my boy McNugget suppose to catch him if he keeps this up?

 

[JLo217]

This is wrong. Cale Makar is the best player in the world.

IMO this is what is often overlooked. What Makar has done as a defensemen is unreal.

When it comes to both McDavid, Mack or Kuch. I look at it this way. Kucherov is the best player for value in terms of his contract. McDavid is the most talented. Mackinnon is the best player for a team competing for a cup. He's the one player i'd take of all 3 if you want to win the cup or compete.

 

[benfranklin]

That’s also with McDavid scoring just 10 points in his first 11 games.

If only McNugget wasnt playing injured for the past 167 games. He'd have 1 zillion points by now.

 

[Regal]

well if we judge by points , No
since 23 started until now including tonights game.

McDavid 135 69 + 171 = 240 1.777 ppg
McKinnon 132 69 +149 = 218 1.651 ppg
Kucherov 119 61 +142 = 203 1.705 ppg

Not sure where those are from. Since January 1, 2023 these are the numbers:

 

[10YearsHaveGone]

Not sure where those are from. Since January 1, 2023 these are the numbers:


View attachment 955577

View attachment 955578

This gives McDavid a pretty significant edge in PPG, and he has far few ENP than either MacK or Kuch.

 

[HabsCode]

If only McNugget wasnt playing injured for the past 167 games. He'd have 1 zillion points by now.

Glad you seeing the light.

 

[Regal]

This gives McDavid a pretty significant edge in PPG, and he has far few ENP than either MacK or Kuch.

I didn’t make any argument just showing correct stats.

Though I wouldn’t say 0.06 is a significant PPG edge. And MacKinnon also has the goal edge, though also has more secondaries. But yes, MacK and Kuch have 21 ENP to 8 for McDavid in that time period.

 

[10YearsHaveGone]

Though I wouldn’t say 0.06 is a significant PPG edge

In the context of a thread claiming MacK is definitely the best player in the world, I think a 5 point difference over a full season is significant. Especially considering the 13 point difference in ENP that you mentioned. I realize this thread was started by a pretty obvious McDavid hater but still.