Where Does Pavel Datsyuk Rank Among The Best Centers Of His Era And How Do You View His Legacy?

[Seanaconda]

Datsyuk is being praised more in this thread today than he was during his prime. I was there in his prime and I always thought "wow, this guy is so underrated". People didn't have access to all the games as easily as we do today. That's why he was so underrated back then.

He's finally getting the credit he deserves. I feel bad for people who couldn't watch every game, every shift he played. He was nothing less than amazing! He was dubbed "the magic man" for a reason.

Wat . There was some Detroit or Russian fan making a thread debating him as best in the league on the weekly.

I very much remember as a malkin Stan myself.

 

[Hockey Know it all]

While I am a Redwing fan, Datsyuk will always be number 1 due to what he could offensively and defensively .

On top of that, he was just absolutely elite defensively while being a wizard on the ice.

I watched him his whole career starting in 2001–2002.

Yes- Crosby, Malkin scored more, but truthfully, and honestly Datsyuk was just different.

I really feel like people should watch the highlights on YouTube from Awood40. Pretty much has the entire Datsyuk collection.

I, will always choose Datsyuk over pretty much anyone that I can think of since I started watching/playing hockey in 96-97(I was 5 years old and started playing as my mom and dad were huge wings fan living in Commerce, MI)

 

[Tuna99]

Best Center in the NHL for a time and I think amongst the players he was considered maybe the best in the game. Not many people played the game like he did - such a unique mind for the game

 

[PainForShane]

This is a great question. For me (a guy who started watching hockey in the mid-90s), Datsyuk was very, very good. Elite in terms of takeaways, incredibly creative offensively (ie Kucherov level) with hands that I would say were better than Patrick Kane's. Pure 200 foot player who would rather stop a goal than score one, so never had consistently elite offensive numbers, at least not at the same level as the true offensive greats like Sid, Ovi, Mario etc.

Historically to me he belongs in the same 2-person tier as Peter Forsberg, another player whose blend of skills just didn't make any sense. And you can arguably put that tier of players wherever you want because we're each allowed to make our own lists.

Anyway amongst his generation, as a neutral personally I'd put him #2 behind Sid -- Datsyuk tilted the ice most shifts he was out there, whereas Malkin would be dominant for a few shifts but then vanish for entire periods (sometimes entire games) at a time

 

[BenchBrawl]

A Top-50-60 all-time center notable for being one of the best stickhandlers in history.

 

[norrisnick]

How was Datsyuk so much better at preventing goals and chances against then?

Because Zetterberg always got the hard match up assignments. If Datsyuk were better defensively, the coaching staff would have deployed him as such.

 

[Dotter]

Wat . There was some Detroit or Russian fan making a thread debating him as best in the league on the weekly.

I very much remember as a malkin Stan myself.

I think I remember that fan. There's always that one guy...

 

[bambamcam4ever]

While I am a Redwing fan, Datsyuk will always be number 1 due to what he could offensively and defensively .

On top of that, he was just absolutely elite defensively while being a wizard on the ice.

I watched him his whole career starting in 2001–2002.

Yes- Crosby, Malkin scored more, but truthfully, and honestly Datsyuk was just different.

I really feel like people should watch the highlights on YouTube from Awood40. Pretty much has the entire Datsyuk collection.

I, will always choose Datsyuk over pretty much anyone that I can think of since I started watching/playing hockey in 96-97(I was 5 years old and started playing as my mom and dad were huge wings fan living in Commerce, MI)

Highlight videos are not a good representation of a player's ability. If so, Rick Nash would be a better player than Crosby.

 

[bleedgreen]

I view him as the second version of Fedorov, who I think never gets enough love because he was content in the team game and not always pushing to get points. They both had a similar skill level, with Fedorov being an elite skater and Dats being the elite stick handler.

Always a lot of debate about where both truly deserve to be ranked but I hold them both in the highest respect and put them in a second tier that’s below the games truly greatest players but all stars nevertheless. Guys who could control games and didn’t need to score to do it. Both were better than their point totals suggest.

 

[tabness]

I view him as the second version of Fedorov, who I think never gets enough love because he was content in the team game and not always pushing to get points. They both had a similar skill level, with Fedorov being an elite skater and Dats being the elite stick handler.

Always a lot of debate about where both truly deserve to be ranked but I hold them both in the highest respect and put them in a second tier that’s below the games truly greatest players but all stars nevertheless. Guys who could control games and didn’t need to score to do it. Both were better than their point totals suggest.

Yeah the hockey reference bots who just look at stats or awards voting will keep having their fits, but for Wings fans, we will take the suppressed scoring of our top forwards with all the success those teams had any day, plus we always knew they could turn it up and collect them points when they needed to.

 

[authentic]

He arrived later in his career, and his peak was overshadowed by Thornton Ovi, Sid, and Malkin.

Don't recall him being overshadowed by Thornton. Pretty much everyone considered him better than Thornton back in the day.

 

[authentic]

Highlight videos are not a good representation of a player's ability. If so, Rick Nash would be a better player than Crosby.

Except when highlight reel plays are a consistent part of your game. Actually, in a way he looked better when you saw the full impact he had on games than he did in his highlight reels.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

Except when highlight reel plays are a consistent part of your game. Actually, in a way he looked better when you saw the full impact he had on games than he did in his highlight reels.

His impact defensively was also greater than his true ability because he was allowed to hook and interfere because he played for the Ref Wings.

 

[Dead Coyote]

This is a great question. For me (a guy who started watching hockey in the mid-90s), Datsyuk was very, very good. Elite in terms of takeaways, incredibly creative offensively (ie Kucherov level) with hands that I would say were better than Patrick Kane's. Pure 200 foot player who would rather stop a goal than score one, so never had consistently elite offensive numbers, at least not at the same level as the true offensive greats like Sid, Ovi, Mario etc.

Historically to me he belongs in the same 2-person tier as Peter Forsberg, another player whose blend of skills just didn't make any sense. And you can arguably put that tier of players wherever you want because we're each allowed to make our own lists.

Anyway amongst his generation, as a neutral personally I'd put him #2 behind Sid -- Datsyuk tilted the ice most shifts he was out there, whereas Malkin would be dominant for a few shifts but then vanish for entire periods (sometimes entire games) at a time

Pretty much agree with all of this. Lots of guys had better offensive peaks. But Malkin, Thornton, etc were never close to the best defensive guys in the league. Datsyuk was. And yeah, arguably Zetterberg was better defensively, but he didn't play center as much as Datsyuk did.

Thornton is a great player, don't get me wrong. He had a lot more longevity than Datsyuk did. But at their peaks? It's not close. Datsyuk was a better goal scoring, in another tier defensively, and his impact on the game was much higher. He was always dangerous and forced opponents to play differently, and his hands were some of the best in the league, both in puck handling and vision. Was there a bump from Malkin and Crosby to Datsyuk offensively? Absolutely. But while Crosby was pretty good defensively, no other pure center really came close to the combination of offense and defense that Datsyuk had. Honestly it's a shame he only won 3 Selke's. He deserved a few more. Toews especially shouldn't have won it in 2012-13, and Kesler in 10-11 is pretty debatable too, but he didn't play the full season so somewhat understandable at least.

 

[AvroArrow]

A Top-50-60 all-time center notable for being one of the best stickhandlers in history.

I mean you're not wrong

 

[KJoe88]

While I am a Redwing fan, Datsyuk will always be number 1 due to what he could offensively and defensively .

On top of that, he was just absolutely elite defensively while being a wizard on the ice.

I watched him his whole career starting in 2001–2002.

Yes- Crosby, Malkin scored more, but truthfully, and honestly Datsyuk was just different.

I really feel like people should watch the highlights on YouTube from Awood40. Pretty much has the entire Datsyuk collection.

I, will always choose Datsyuk over pretty much anyone that I can think of since I started watching/playing hockey in 96-97(I was 5 years old and started playing as my mom and dad were huge wings fan living in Commerce, MI)

This. He was #1 imo without stat watching.

He was impeccable.

 

[Oddbob]

I could be wrong, but I remember Z on Datsyuk’s wing a lot of the time. Correct me if I’m wrong because it’s been a long time.

No, they loved playing together, but Mike Babcock loved spreading out the scoring, so they were only playing together in small spurts.

 

[authentic]

No, they loved playing together, but Mike Babcock loved spreading out the scoring, so they were only playing together in small spurts.

Pretty sure 2007-08 was the only time they played together regularly

 

[Cursed Lemon]

Pavel Datsyuk had the one quality you cannot teach players - when he was on the ice, he set the pace of the play and exerted control over the whole ice surface.

 

[DearDiary]

Pavel Datsyuk had the one quality you cannot teach players - when he was on the ice, he set the pace of the play and exerted control over the whole ice surface.

So he was the 3rd ref on the ice every game?

 

[dj Mahoney]

He was on such stacked teams is tough to say. Before the salary cap era.

 

[MichaelFarrell]

He was on such stacked teams is tough to say. Before the salary cap era.

He was only on the Red Wings pre-salary cap for three seasons.

 

[Oddbob]

He was on such stacked teams is tough to say. Before the salary cap era.

The majority of his career was spent on teams that wouldn't be called stacked after the salary cap.

 

[dj Mahoney]

Question : Who would you rather have starting a franchise Auston Mathews or Pavel Datsyuk ? Me , Pavel without question .

 

[PainForShane]

Pretty much agree with all of this. Lots of guys had better offensive peaks. But Malkin, Thornton, etc were never close to the best defensive guys in the league. Datsyuk was. And yeah, arguably Zetterberg was better defensively, but he didn't play center as much as Datsyuk did.

Thornton is a great player, don't get me wrong. He had a lot more longevity than Datsyuk did. But at their peaks? It's not close. Datsyuk was a better goal scoring, in another tier defensively, and his impact on the game was much higher. He was always dangerous and forced opponents to play differently, and his hands were some of the best in the league, both in puck handling and vision. Was there a bump from Malkin and Crosby to Datsyuk offensively? Absolutely. But while Crosby was pretty good defensively, no other pure center really came close to the combination of offense and defense that Datsyuk had. Honestly it's a shame he only won 3 Selke's. He deserved a few more. Toews especially shouldn't have won it in 2012-13, and Kesler in 10-11 is pretty debatable too, but he didn't play the full season so somewhat understandable at least.

You know, I think there's some nuance to this.

Regarding his defense, imo Datsyuk was elite re: defensive transition in the neutral zone, to me he's the best player I've ever seen and probably ever will see in this respect. What I mean is when Datsyuk was on the ice it became MUCH harder for teams to get from their own blue line to the other blue line, and also Datsyuk would create a turnover in the Neutral Zone then immediately make a good pass, suddenly you're back in your own zone again but this time without any sort of warning. It's such a weird and oddly specific facet of the game that doesn't show up on the scoresheet and yet is so important, esp with regard to controlling overall play.

Among current players I really can only think of Marner and Stone that sort of have this same ability (might be forgetting some, if so apologies), but Datsyuk was so, so much better than both those guys at this defense / turnover creation through the defensive neutral zone.

Deep in his own zone? Imo he was very good but not elite. If I'm stuck hemmed in my own zone, I'd rather have Forsberg or Kopitar or ROR or probably even peak Jonathan Toews, Toews was once overrated but I feel like he's gone so far back the other way that ppl forget how defensively dominant he was in his prime. But counting the other 2/3s of the ice, Datsyuk was arguably the best player in his entire generation and maybe more.

All that to say Datsyuk was extremely good at the game called hockey, a bit tricky to explain to someone who's never seen him play. Glad we both had a chance to watch him in real-time (as did many people who are contributing in this thread)