Nathan Mackinnon - the best player in the league

[CantHaveTkachev]

Good analysis.

What I don’t understand is when I make this point, everyone is so defensive over McDust. The reality is that the top player can change every night based on who’s playing the best. Kuch, McDust, Mack, Drai have all held the crown at various points.

Mcdust is not the CONSENSUS best player let alone the best player

This will age as well as that “McDavid will never get to 150 points” thread you were in and then disappeared for like a year after he did it
lol

 

[11Messier]

Good analysis.

What I don’t understand is when I make this point, everyone is so defensive over McDust. The reality is that the top player can change every night based on who’s playing the best. Kuch, McDust, Mack, Drai have all held the crown at various points.

Mcdust is not the CONSENSUS best player let alone the best player

I have no problem with your opinion and things change on daily basis as you said. But where things fall apart is when you revert to childish nick names and adjective like "a huge margin". In my mind, it turns into assessing and validating your points to ...ahh, he's just a troll looking for attention so anything he says doesn't really mean anything. I know you think you're bothering McDavid fans, but you really aren't. So you be you. Just answering your question in case you are genuinely interested in knowing why.

 

[Grifter3511]

Good analysis.

What I don’t understand is when I make this point, everyone is so defensive over McDust. The reality is that the top player can change every night based on who’s playing the best. Kuch, McDust, Mack, Drai have all held the crown at various points.

Mcdust is not the CONSENSUS best player let alone the best player

I guess it all boils down to what you mean by consensus?

Do you want 100% of the people to agree for it to be a consensus? Or just the majority?

Because I guarantee if you started a poll (which you won't because it will show you what you don't want to see) the consensus...I mean MAJORITY, would vote for McDavid.

And no shit the term 'very best' is fluid and can change from night to night or period to period. Hence why NO ONE uses it like that. Because that's impossible to gauge.

And last but not least, I am not a McDavid fan. I'm not really a big fan of any of the usual top 3-4 ranked players. Of the group Mackinnon is my favourite. But the reason I, and probably so many others, vehemently come to McDavid's defense, is because YOU post with one intention and one intention only, and its ridiculously transparent, everyone can see it, and we rightfully call you out on it.

 

[nowhereman]

Lol, it’s crickets because they know he shouldn’t be in the conversation for hart, regardless of EN points. They championed their guy when he was deserved and haven’t when he hasn’t this year. Pretty consistent I’d say.

Spoken like someone who does indeed rely on stats as opposed to watching the game. Thanks for clarifying that you need to look at spreadsheet to help parse information on players you don’t regularly watch. Not a bad thing in moderation in conjunction with actually viewing the player.

"Supports".

 

[Valushkin]

Makar relies more on MacKinnon than MacKinnon relies on Makar. And the data supports this. Makar hasn't been in the conversation for 2nd best player in the league for a few years now. His offensive numbers are always impressive but he has struggled defensively for several seasons. At this point, Hughes is the best defenseman in the game.

This had some chance of being true if Hughes could play defense and penalty kill, both of those things which Makar can do and Hughes can’t.

Oh and check the playoff numbers of Hughes and Makar. It’s not even close. Hughes is not near the same level

 

[Avsfan1921]

"Supports".

Yes actually “watching” would “support” that your “assumption” is “incorrect” and you are relying on “stats”.

Makar has been much more consistent in a beneficial way this year than MacKinnon. This is not debatable no matter what stat you want to spew.

 

[nowhereman]

This had some chance of being true if Hughes could play defense and penalty kill, both of those things which Makar can do and Hughes can’t.

Oh and check the playoff numbers of Hughes and Makar. It’s not even close. Hughes is not near the same level

Maybe watch a game or two, rather than regurgitating tired narratives. Hughes is better defensively than Makar.

 

[Avsfan1921]

Maybe watch a game or two, rather than regurgitating tired narratives. Hughes is better defensively than Makar.

Oh, so now we’re gonna watch the games to support our narratives. That’s a great concept that I’m sure you’ll stick to.

 

[Valushkin]

Oh, so now we’re gonna watch the games to support our narratives. That’s a great concept that I’m sure you’ll stick to.

Funny enough, I do watch games. I might watch more Avs games than Nucks games but I’ve watched enough Vancouver games to base my opinion, and I can comfortably say Hughes is not better defensively than Makar. Specially in the playoffs. Hughes gets exposed in the playoffs because of his small size and lack of physicality.

 

[Valushkin]

Maybe watch a game or two, rather than regurgitating tired narratives. Hughes is better defensively than Makar.

Trust me I do watch games, and no he’s not. Hughes is not better defensively. He’s on par offensively, but if he was better than Makar defensively, for one, he would kill penalties. There is a reason why he doesn’t kill penalties. He’s good at breaking up plays and move pucks or the break out passes, but when it comes to battles in the d zone, I see him constantly get outmuscled and turn pucks over.

 

[Avsfan1921]

Funny enough, I do watch games. I might watch more Avs games than Nucks games but I’ve watched enough Vancouver games to base my opinion, and I can comfortably say Hughes is not better defensively than Makar. Specially in the playoffs. Hughes gets exposed in the playoffs because of his small size and lack of physicality.

I was referring to @nowhereman and not you. I won’t get into the argument of Hughes vs Makar as I don’t watch Vancouver, but they were claiming Mack was propping Makar because stats which is very far from reality.

 

[Valushkin]

I was referring to @nowhereman and not you. I won’t get into the argument of Hughes vs Makar as I don’t watch Vancouver, but they were claiming Mack was propping Makar because stats which is very far from reality.

I know you were referring to him, I just mentioned that I actually do watch the games, and not only relying on stats but the eye test too.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Is OP the ‘I hate McDavid’ guy?

I thought he already died on the “McDavid will never hit 150pt” hill.

Apparently Jesus isn’t the only one who can rise from death.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Last 20 games

McDavid
12 goals 27 assists 39 points +9
32 primary points
28 EVP
0 Empty net points

MacKinnon
7 goals 20 assists 27 points +5
20 primary points
22 EVP
5 Empty net points

Looks like a certain poster will pull a disappearing act, again, in a month or two.

From a thread called "Canadians. Are you happy 5 Canadian franchises are in the playoffs?"

Our Canadian friend from Anaheim with a Leafs avatar (currently, who knows what it was back then) had this to say

View attachment 950974

Yea, the Leafs avatar is just to create discourse between Oilers and Leaf fans. @hamzarocks

I have an idea of what team he's really a fan of though...

View attachment 950977

This is why I love forums. The detective work is really fun.

Wouldn't be surprised that it's simply a SeanMoneyHands burner account.

 

[Fishy McScales]

From a thread called "Canadians. Are you happy 5 Canadian franchises are in the playoffs?"

Our Canadian friend from Anaheim with a Leafs avatar (currently, who knows what it was back then) had this to say

View attachment 950974

Yea, the Leafs avatar is just to create discourse between Oilers and Leaf fans. @hamzarocks

I have an idea of what team he's really a fan of though...

View attachment 950977

This is why I love forums. The detective work is really fun.

This guy is like that dude who robbed a bank in broad daylight with lemon juice smeared on his face because he thought it would make him invisible on the security cams.

 

[Hasbro]

This had some chance of being true if Hughes could play defense and penalty kill, both of those things which Makar can do and Hughes can’t.

Oh and check the playoff numbers of Hughes and Makar. It’s not even close. Hughes is not near the same level

But Makar is a year older.

This guy is like that dude who robbed a bank in broad daylight with lemon juice smeared on his face because he thought it would make him invisible on the security cams.

Big Phil?

 

[zar]

Good analysis.

What I don’t understand is when I make this point, everyone is so defensive over McDust. The reality is that the top player can change every night based on who’s playing the best. Kuch, McDust, Mack, Drai have all held the crown at various points.

Mcdust is not the CONSENSUS best player let alone the best player

Go ask all 32 NHL GMs which player they take on their team for this season… all other things equal.

All 32 of them take “McLeftTheRestInTheDust”.

 

[Fishy McScales]

But Makar is a year older.


Big Phil?

1995 Greater Pittsburgh bank robberies - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[StoveTopStauffer]

He's gotta play an extra 1.5 minutes a game to even have a chance and he'll likely still not be 1st.

 

[gritdash60]

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.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Maybe watch a game or two, rather than regurgitating tired narratives. Hughes is better defensively than Makar.

It’s always substantive when you challenge people to provide support then make a declarative statement without support.

 

[Spirits]

MacKinnon is nothing without Makar

I remember when you were a Golden Knights fan before the Avalanche won their third cup.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Go ask all 32 NHL GMs which player they take on their team for this season… all other things equal.

All 32 of them take “McLeftTheRestInTheDust”.

McDust?

 

[zar]

McDust?

Agreed.

Watching both Oilers game and Avs game tonight - man Ottawa looks bad but also Mack clearly outplaying mcdust. Mcdust with 1 greasy assist and McKinnon driving the play with 2 assists. I think the 9th / 10th time Mack has out scored mcdust this season


You been watching past 5 games? Mack dominating Mcdust

Yep. And McKinnon by a good margin.

Once Mack also starts to play his best again he will blow the doors off the art ross race. It’s already becoming a route anyway. Mcdust is like 9 points behind lmao

Good analysis.

What I don’t understand is when I make this point, everyone is so defensive over McDust. The reality is that the top player can change every night based on who’s playing the best. Kuch, McDust, Mack, Drai have all held the crown at various points.

Mcdust is not the CONSENSUS best player let alone the best player

 

[MessierII]

Arguably.

McDavid needs to keep his hot streak up, several forwards have challenged him in recent times, which is shocking considering he is 27 years of age and ostensibly at his peak.

What a lot of people forget about McDavid every year is that he’s never once been more productive in the first half of a season. Every single season he’s played he his production goes up in the back half.