World Cup: 2016 World Cup — Team North America (Part II)

[snipes]

Better than Crosby, Malkin, OV, Jagr, etc.? He has a ways to go.

Talent wise? Yes.

Best player in the game? Still needs to master the nuances, Crosby is ahead on face-offs and below the dots grinding style game. Crosby is the only player I put ahead of McDavid right now. McDavid is Crosbys rightful heir.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

McDavid has created chance after chance. By the end of the tournament, reasonable hockey fans will call him the best hockey player they have ever seen.

Watch McDavid go beast mode and get like 4 points in a game and everyone will know what they know deep down. He has another level and is simply better than everyone else.

I think he's good but.... It would be wise not to expect this to happen

 

[snipes]

I think he's good but.... It would be wise not to expect this to happen

I really don't care at the end result. The kid can play.

Team NA are heavy underdogs, they are expected to lose every game. That's why I'm rolling with them. Canada is expected to win, anything less is a failure.

I've just seen, time after time, McDavid step up when the criticisms are the highest. Zero worries about him.

 

[ijuka]

Crosby's pretty silently effective. For example, in addition to having great IQ, vision and passing, he also has a good shot with a solid one timer and it seems like he can 1v2 people along the boards.

McDavid might be as good or even better with the puck but his boardwork is nowhere near Crosby's and so it likely will be tougher for him to get to those situations to make use of his strengths than it is for Crosby.


Still, with the correct linemates I can see McDavid being the best player in the world by the end of this season already. If not, then the next at least.

 

[Sky04]

Talent wise? Yes.

Best player in the game? Still needs to master the nuances, Crosby is ahead on face-offs and below the dots grinding style game. Crosby is the only player I put ahead of McDavid right now. McDavid is Crosbys rightful heir.

lol bit of a stretch there if you think McDavid will be more impressive than watching prime Malkin/Crosby/Ovechkin/Jagr, clearly a recency bias. These guys were all flashy players during their offensive primes as well, he looks nowhere near what these guys did and he played against a slow europe team with a bunch of skilled allstars.

 

[snipes]

Crosby's pretty silently effective. For example, in addition to having great IQ, vision and passing, he also has a good shot with a solid one timer and it seems like he can 1v2 people along the boards.

McDavid might be as good or even better with the puck but his boardwork is nowhere near Crosby's and so it likely will be tougher for him to get to those situations to make use of his strengths than it is for Crosby.

Good eye. I agree, you've made some very observant posts lately. Crosby is the best "grinder" in the league. Those big legs and low centre of gravity allow him to dominate below the dots.

Crosbys skills are different than McDavids, McDavid is speed and puck control faster than anyone in the history of the game. When he turns it on, no one can reach his level.

McDavid can't "grind" like Crosby. He's more like Gretzky, he needs a big power winger on his line who will ****ing go to war if anyone lays a finger on him.

 

[snipes]

lol bit of a stretch there if you think McDavid will be more impressive than watching prime Malkin/Crosby/Ovechkin/Jagr, clearly a recency bias. These guys were all flashy players during their offensive primes as well, he looks nowhere near what these guys did and he played against a slow europe team with a bunch of skilled allstars.

It's different skills.

Crosby is way better along the boards and down low. If you watch, they are totally different players.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Are you judging him based on a handful of plays in 3 games or his entire body of work? McDavid looked ineffective in the exhibition games too but we all know he's the best player on the team .

His entire body of play. With the Flyers, it's ok for him to hold onto the puck more and do more himself. At this level, that stuff clearly isn't working. He needs to move the puck much quicker or sit.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

I really don't care at the end result. The kid can play.

Team NA are heavy underdogs, they are expected to lose every game. That's why I'm rolling with them. Canada is expected to win, anything less is a failure.

I've just seen, time after time, McDavid step up when the criticisms are the highest. Zero worries about him.

Examples?

 

[snipes]

Examples?

2016 WHC. Thanks for asking, he ended up MVP of the Gold Medal game as a teenager.

 

[GMofOilers]

I think TM said it best yesterday. The team trying to still figure it out. They have to be less selfish inside the o blueline.

All these players have a lot more to give on this team. Actually every team so far has more to give. It will be a step up starting the prelim round. All teams will elevate their games.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

2016 WHC. Thanks for asking, he ended up MVP of the Gold Medal game as a teenager.

I know he has accomplishments. You mentioned numerous times he rose above criticism. Its the criticism examples I was looking for...

 

[Mitts]

McDavid has created chance after chance. By the end of the tournament, reasonable hockey fans will call him the best hockey player they have ever seen.

Sorry, but he doesn't look better than Gretzky or Lemieux, and I don't see that changing.

 

[snipes]

I know he has accomplishments. You mentions numerous times he rose above criticism. Its the criticism examples I was looking for...

I see. Sorry, he hadn't scored before that game (had 8 or 9 assists I believe, haven't double checked), everyone was saying "Connor who?", lots of European posters questioning why he was hyped the way he was.

After that game, pretty much all Finnish fans were saying how much they were in awe of him. Not only the game winning goal, he forced 3 turnovers in the final two minutes and shut down the Finns.

When McDavid goes beast mode, no one is on his level.

 

[snipes]

Sorry, but he doesn't look better than Gretzky or Lemieux, and I don't see that changing.

I've seen all 3 live. I don't know, maybe his speed puts me in awe more than it should.

Gretz is the Great One, no one has ever had his vision. His records are untouchable. But when you see McDavid live, you just laugh. I've never seen someone that fast on the ice.

You're a Flames fan, I'm sure you've seen him live. It's insane how fast he can skate end to end and control the puck while processing the game at those speeds.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Some of the things Gretzky excelled at are things McDavid still has to learn.

Gretzky knew where everyone on the ice was and he had like an overhead view of the game that allowed him to anticipate and to include and use his team mates to score and win games.

McDavid is a fast exciting player that can put the puck on a string at speed but there are other elements he needs to work on at the NHL and Best on Best levels to anticipate and to read and to make the players around him better.

 

[Mitts]

I've seen all 3 live. I don't know, maybe his speed puts me in awe more than it should.

Gretz is the Great One, no one has ever had his vision. His records are untouchable. But when you see McDavid live, you just laugh. I've never seen someone that fast on the ice.

You're a Flames fan, I'm sure you've seen him live. It's insane how fast he can skate end to end and control the puck while processing the game at those speeds.

I agree 100% about his speed, but his hands and vision do not compare to Gretz or Lemieux, I don't see it, I haven't seen him undress players like those 2 players could, the only thing I've seen him outclass those players in is his speed.

 

[snipes]

Some of the things Gretzky excelled at are things McDavid still has to learn.

Gretzky knew where everyone on the ice was and he had like an overhead view of the game that allowed him to anticipate and to include and use his team mates to score and win games.

McDavid is a fast exciting player that can put the puck on a string at speed but there are other elements he needs to work on at the NHL and Best on Best levels to anticipate and to read and to make the players around him better.

Maybe "talent" and being the "best" need a distinction.

No one will ever have the IQ Gretzky had for the game. Gretzky might have the most underrated slapshot too, he was lethal accurate. McDavid needs to work on his shot, and in my opinion shoot the puck more!! Gretz will always be the "best".

What McDavid has pertaining to unprecedented skill and "talent", is skating with the puck at speeds no one else ever has. He glides faster than anyone else can skate, I don't know how else to say it. I've never seen anyone like him.

 

[snipes]

I agree 100% about his speed, but his hands and vision do not compare to Gretz or Lemieux, I don't see it, I haven't seen him undress players like those 2 players could, the only thing I've seen him outclass those players in is his speed.

Fair point. No one will ever match Greztky's IQ. I agree, Gretz processed the game in a way no one else ever has.

 

[Sky04]

It's different skills.

Crosby is way better along the boards and down low. If you watch, they are totally different players.

What? did you even watch when Crosby broke into the league? he was one of the flashiest players in the game, often going around 2-3 defenders to drive to the net. His first 3 years were far from this "grinding" reputation he has.

 

[snipes]

What? did you even watch when Crosby broke into the league? he was one of the flashiest players in the game, often going around 2-3 defenders to drive to the net. His first 3 years were far from this "grinding" reputation he has.

Crosby was always strong in his lower body. His legs have always been tree trunks, his change of direction in close spaces has always been his #1 quality. He's much more of a bulldog than McDavid will ever be.

McDavids #1 quality is different. He's the best skater in the NHL right now. It's not my view, his peers say the same thing. His puck control at the speeds he skates at are something I've never seen. And I'm not a kid, I've seen many of the greats before him play.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

What? did you even watch when Crosby broke into the league? he was one of the flashiest players in the game, often going around 2-3 defenders to drive to the net. His first 3 years were far from this "grinding" reputation he has.

He's had a grinding reputation since he was 15. The moment he stepped on NHL ice he was one of the strongest players on the puck and in the corners.

 

[ViewsFromThe6ix]

Matthews and Schiefele skate with McDavid. MacKinnon out for personal reasons.

 

[snipes]

Matthews and Schiefele skate with McDavid. MacKinnon out for personal reasons.

Love it!! Give McDavid the big body power forwards he needs. McDavid is about to set Matthews up for some beauty goals. Matthews has elite hockey IQ and finish. McDavid will tee it up for him .

Scheifele on the forecheck and cycle. Love these lines.

Matthews from 13th forward to 1st line winger with McDavid. Kid has earned it, hate the Leafs but I have nothing but respect for Matthews, especially after he stuck up for his captain. You have a good one Leaf fans, he's your future captain.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Love it!! Give McDavid the big body power forwards he needs. McDavid is about to set Matthews up for some beauty goals. Matthews has elite hockey IQ and finish. McDavid will tee it up for him .

Scheifele on the forecheck and cycle. Love these lines.

Matthews from 13th forward to 1st line winger with McDavid. Kid has earned it, hate the Leafs but I have nothing but respect for Matthews, especially after he stuck up for his captain. You have a good one Leaf fans, he's your future captain.

We have some character guys in Matthews, Marner and Rielly.

His ascent in the line up is quicker then I think even a lot of Leaf fans would have predicted. He's went from 13th forward to 1st line winger. I guess the only other thing I'd be curious to see is if he got a chance to play centre.