How has Kucherov been the best player for the past two years if that time span includes McDavid 2023?. Last year McDavid went under PPG for the first 10 games due to playing through injury, and after recovering led the league in points for the last 70~ games. I just believe if you give every GM a choice between Kuch and McDavid for this season, only Tampa and maybe Calgary GMs would actually choose Kucherov.
If McDavid was the best in 2023 he would have won the Art Ross playing 76 games, since he's being praised to be among, and compared to the greatest offensive players who ever played the game.
Well he's picked it up even more since this was posted. Wonder if Matthews is still considered undisputed best player in Toronto now? I've always thought Marner was just as good if not better but Matthews never got half the heat Marner ever did.
In 2022-2023 McDavid clinched the Art Ross in his 68th game with 129 points. If you remove his teammate Draisaitl (second place that year) he eclipsed his closest non teammate in Nikita Kucherov in his 61st game with 114 and 115 points that day.
Streaks and stretches isn't how this works though if it ends up with pretty much nothing to show up for in the end. Kucherov and MacKinnon look to be nearly as dominant like last season and might be repeating the seasons they had last year. If we assume these seasons to be all three of them at their peaks, the generational talent looks to be slighly on the losing end once again. From what I've seen this season, Draisaitl seems to be the best Oiler even. McDavid is a potential annual 60+ goal scorer, but he's not making anywhere close to the best of it. Even a 39 year old Ovechkin easily outscores him. Plus Kucherov came within 9 points of McDavid's best season and doesn't look like slowing down any time soon. Peer-to-peer domination to me is one of the best measurements in comparing the greatest or best players and he's just not showing enough of it on a constant regular basis.
Yes Matthews is very easily the best player in Toronto still. Despite having injury issues this year, Matthews still quite comfortably leads the league in 5v5: ixg/60, individual high danger chances for/60 and individual scoring chances for/60.....and all Marner is he was a Selke finalist once.
McKinnon is 0.04 ppg higher than McDavid right know.
In forsbergs 2nd season the scoring was the highest it has been since then, the differnce between isnt much higher scoring area, check out for your self to see how little or if any differnce it is between Forsberg and McDavid era
www.hockey-reference.com
Yeah i think the numbers are facts that speak for themselves, McKinnon has reached a remarkable height and i give him full credit, and Kucherov is also extraordinary. But McDavid is something else, just he things he does, over a point per game ES, only... yeah you already now... but Mario had "only" 951 ESP in 915 games.
If Toronto really believes this why would you not trade him at his peak now today? You plan on letting him walk for nothing or do you guys plan on paying this and I quote here " slow, weak shot. physically weak' player close to 14 per?
Draisaitl is up in tier 2 this year though along with Quinn Hughes and perhaps Makar as well.
There is a separate Norris trophy and before his injury Quinn was probably the Norris guy and more Hart worthy as well.
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.
Sure but are the voters really going to vote for Drai as McDavid is there and will probably score more points and ya everyone forgets Minny.
Marner has a NMC now.
Forgot about NMC Leafs in tough spot here. He's getting paid from someone regardless but if you feel he's not worth the contract I suppose it's best to walk away then hamstring the cap moving forward.
Kucherov is about the same as last year but the rest of the team is playing a lot better. Last year it was really a one man show until March.
I think you have to. Especially if the Leafs don't look like a real threat in the playoffs. If they don't make the final four, I think somebody's gotta go.
