Per TSN, Prime Malkin or Prime Draisaitl

[CheckingLineCenter]

don't see how you don't have Draitsaitl rated higher all time after this year.

can think of 3 or so reasons. Maybe even 4

 

[Video Nasty]

An active discussion about who wasn't around to see Malkin at his peak makes me feel old.

You’ve been blessed to make it this far then.

 

[Muffin]

Drai has had more points in a season
Drai will have 2 years of more points than Malkin's peak after this year
Drai has had more goals in a season (Malkin has 1 50 goal year Drai will have 4+ after this year)

Is all of that undone with the Smythe? The one where Malkin got 36 points in 24 games, Drai has a 2ppg playoff year where he had 32 points in 16 games

How many 100 point scorers were in the league in Malkin's prime vs how many 100 points scorers we have now. Not even remotely comparable.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

You’ve been blessed to make it this far then.

Agreed - getting old stinks but far beats the alternative.

Now let me tell all you young kids about Pete Peeters. You could cut bread with his eyebrows.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

I gotta go with Drai, I think the argument that McDavid inflates his numbers are debunked, he is as legit as they come. there's a reason why they called him the German Gretzky.

 

[Trade]

If you take a look at their respective stats and totally ignore Malkin's Cups, Conn Smythe and the league-scoring during his prime - it's quite easy to see it's Drai!

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Agreed - getting old stinks but far beats the alternative.

Now let me tell all you young kids about Pete Peeters. You could cut bread with his eyebrows.

...damn, we are old...

 

[Video Nasty]

When the question is who is the better player, you go with the better player, which we agree is Malkin.

I fully expect Drai to have superior career numbers due to his consistency and health, but that doesn't make him a better player. A more reliable one sure, but not better.

I still need to listen to the actual segment that led to this topic, but from the way it’s presented in the OP, it led me to believe that we’re talking about the value these players gave or have given in their prime.

 

[CashMash]

I take a healthy and motivated Malkin above Crosby and Ovechkin, both of whom I'd take over Draisaitl. It's a shame that version of Malkin wasn't around too often, but what a player he was.

Yup. 2012 was amazing.

 

[Gurglesons]

It's kind crazy how Leon has been in the top ten in scoring every year since 16-17.

I'll take prime Malkin over pretty much every player in the cap era outside of prime McDavid, Obi and Sid, but we only got it for two seasons over a 20 season career.

 

[Video Nasty]

How many 100 point scorers were in the league in Malkin's prime vs how many 100 points scorers we have now. Not even remotely comparable.

Forget raw numbers for a moment and look at placements for Draisaitl.

2018-2019 through 2023-2024:

Goals: 2, 4, 4, 2, 4, 14
Points: 4, 1, 2, 4, 2, 7

2024-2025 will add a first place finish for goals and 1 or 2 in points.

He will have finished top 4 in both goals and points in six of the past seven seasons. He will have finished top 2 in both goals and points three and four times respectively.

Malkin managed this from 2007-2008 through 2011-2012:

Goals: 4, 14, 31 (missed 15 games), 171 (missed 39 games), 2
Points: 2, 1, 19 (missed 15 games), 197 (missed 39 games), 1

Then continued to miss time consistently.

To use your words, not even remotely comparable.

 

[HFpapi]

can think of 3 or so reasons. Maybe even 4

cUpS!!

It's a 32 team league and a 23 man roster. Guess Draisaitl isn't better than Kris Draper either.

Individually Draisaitls' career will be much better than Malkins by the end of their respective careers. Again, I think Malkins best day >> Draisaitls but being injured 20% of every season aint good for the legacy.

 

[Plural]

Gebo, because of my nostalgia. His 75 games 109 points season was amazing. About halfway through the season he was behind Stamkos (and Giroux?) by like 30 points. Started gunning and ended up winning the points race by a mile.

 

[SEALBound]

Prime as in "peak"? Malkin 1000% Zero question.

Prime as in "overall play from season to season over X years"? Maybe Drai depending on the timeframes.

 

[ShootIt]

Head to head, I would go with Malkin.

Close though, and we still don't know how Leon's story will end.

 

[TGWL]

The problem with answer prime vs prime, is that most just view it as best year vs best year. I think a time-frame of prime vs prime works out better when trying to judge. Otherwise, you're just left with "who accomplished more" during their best year, in which case there doesn't need to be a topic because the answer is Malkin.

 

[Connor McConnor]

Prime as in "peak"? Malkin 1000% Zero question.

Prime as in "overall play from season to season over X years"? Maybe Drai depending on the timeframes.

Maybe? It's not even close. Malkin has put up a B2B season comparable to Drai once in his entire career. His 2nd and 3rd years at 21 and 22.

 

[66-30-33]

Prime Malkin. Drai benefits from a higher scoring era though.

 

[Three On Zero]

Malkin quite easily

 

[bambamcam4ever]

Drai has had more points in a season
Drai will have 2 years of more points than Malkin's peak after this year
Drai has had more goals in a season (Malkin has 1 50 goal year Drai will have 4+ after this year)

Is all of that undone with the Smythe? The one where Malkin got 36 points in 24 games, Drai has a 2ppg playoff year where he had 32 points in 16 games

It's really as simple as watching them play. Malkin was another level of player.

 

[Nadal On Clay]

Malkin’s scoring finishes when he plays in at least 70 games in a season (before turning 35 y/o) :

1st, 1st, 2nd, 4th, 18th (rookie season)

He just couldn’t stay healthy.

 

[Matsun]

Over 1 season or 1 playoff run I still think I would go with Malkin, but over a sustained period it's clearly Draisaitl.

 

[daver]

Oilers fan so maybe biased but before this season I’d say peak Malkin > peak Drai but Draisaitl this year is on that level for me.
Draisaitl has also had the more consistent career so far

Malkin was significantly farther ahead of the pack in per game production in his peak season and in the 2009 playoffs.

Draisaitl's best two seasons are like Malkin's 2009 season.

 

[v00d00daddy]

I still need to listen to the actual segment that led to this topic, but from the way it’s presented in the OP, it led me to believe that we’re talking about the value these players gave or have given in their prime.

They were talking about the 2nd best superstars on the team. Like Malkin under Crosby and Drai under McD

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDo]

Drai has had more points in a season
…

Bernie Nicholls had a more points in a season than Drai. Maybe there is a context to totals per season or playoffs?