Ironically, this 26 page thread is a prelude to what his legacy will look like if he never wins a cup.
Does a cup affect McDavid’s legacy?
- Thread starter TheBeard
- Start date
Don't worry, people will still find reasons to criticize him
Something tells me that once he wins the cup, a cup will not be important for the legacy anymore...
Mike C
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interesting thought coming from a guy with a user name such as yours!
enjoy the rest of the season and playoffs!
Fatass
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- Apr 17, 2017
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Of course not leading a team to a Cup would negatively affect McDavid’s legacy. Imo he will say the same. He’s a great player and knows to be included with the all time greats (get into the top 10 all time) he needs to lead his club to at least one Cup. Likely more. Crosby lead his club to three. And he’s just breaking into that top ten of the greatest.
Nathaniel Skywalker
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MuckOG
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Maybe some people will make that argument, but winning a Cup in any fashion removes the tag "best player to never win a Cup" from his name....and as such, helps his legacy, IMO.
Nathaniel Skywalker
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Ive said it multiple times. A cup and smythe i would rank him above. However that doesnt mean i believe mcdavid was a better player. I think hes just been far more healthy thats the difference in their hardware. But as careers would go it would push sid to 6th on my list
Yes in that way it would help
TheAngryHank
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Steve Kournianos
@thedraftanalyst
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At this point, it looks very likely that McDavid will finish somewhere in the top five in Hart trophy voting. If that's the case, it will be his 8th consecutive year. The only players with longer streaks, in all of NHL history, are Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe.
Most consecutive seasons, top 5 in Hart voting (1924-2023)
Most consecutive seasons, top 5 in Hart voting (1924-2023)
- 12x - Wayne Gretzky (1980 to 1991)
- 10x - Gordie Howe (1957 to 1966)
- 8x - Bobby Orr (1968 to 1975)
- 7x - Connor McDavid (2017 to 2023) - soon to be 8x?
- 6x - Bobby Hull (1964 to 1969)
- 6x - Guy Lafleur (1975 to 1980)
- 5x - Bobby Clarke (1973 to 1977)
- 5x - Gordie Howe (1951 to 1955)
The Macho King
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Video Nasty
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Yet again doing things only the Big Four have. All part of the journey to remolding it into a new Big Five.
Spirits
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This is McDavid's fault. The great ones demand the best from those around them and don't have a plethora of excuses ready for when they fail. Dude isn't a winner, probably doesn't have the heart of a champion.
He isn't in the top 20 until he can win a cup in Edmonton.
When your best players are 100' players they don't win cups.
Spirits
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As captain of the ship in Edmonton. Going to New Jersey in 4-6 years as a 2nd line C and getting carried to a cup won't mean anything to me.
RR44
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- Jan 29, 2024
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Yes it will...all the greats have been alongside their play on the ice, stats, what they brought to the game, etc rightly judged on how many Stanley Cups they've won. As an example not many question Ovechkin's greatness now...prior to winning the Stanley Cup he was judged by Washington's failure in the playoffs. Now, he's widely regarded as the greatest goal scorer over the last 30 years and is close to #99's record. Steve Yzerman was another flashy forward who scored alot of points but his teams came up short until he changed his game to a 200ft one + alongside other like minded, elite talent + an all timer coach led his teams to 3 Stanley Cups. No one questions Stevie Y as an all time great and is regarded as one of the great leaders ever in hockey.
When Las Vegas beat Edmonton in February to end their win streak at 16 games...McDavid's reaction spoke volumes. He was upset and the entire bench knew about it. While it was the record sure but I bet he was more upset losing to the defending SC champs than tying Pittsburgh's record...he knows he will untimately be judged by how many SC rings he has. Fair or not...that is the reality.
When Las Vegas beat Edmonton in February to end their win streak at 16 games...McDavid's reaction spoke volumes. He was upset and the entire bench knew about it. While it was the record sure but I bet he was more upset losing to the defending SC champs than tying Pittsburgh's record...he knows he will untimately be judged by how many SC rings he has. Fair or not...that is the reality.
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Video Nasty
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Yet he already is.
Real talk. Let’s pretend he leads the Oilers to a Cup during one of the two upcoming postseasons, aka the next 15 months.
What spot inside the top 20 does he leapfrog to for you?
Spirits
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Nah, guy isn't a winner.
Great word usage.
Let's see if he can win a series vs a non Pacific team first. In most divisions he doesn't ever escape the 2nd round.
Video Nasty
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So you’re declining to engage in good faith about where inside the top 20 McDavid would land with a needed Cup win?
Ignoring for a moment that your reply makes no sense in the context of my post, it's a good thing he's not a 100' player. Fancy stats, traditional stats, tracked skating distance, and the good ol' eye test support that.
Scrantonicity 2
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Winning a cup can absolutely affect a player's legacy and reputation. Think about how Ovechkin would be perceived today if the Capitals hadn't managed to win a cup. Think about how we look back on Marcel Dionne's career.
McDavid is one of the best players the NHL has ever seen at an individual level. Careers, however, are built on championships and accolades. He has the personal accolades and will continue to win Harts, Art Ross's, Lindsays. The top 10 lists and stuff like that are just stupid fun made by fans. There's no way to objectively measure Greats when the league has such an old history and the game has evolved in so many facets. McDavid does need a Stanley Cup to be in the conversation though.
McDavid is one of the best players the NHL has ever seen at an individual level. Careers, however, are built on championships and accolades. He has the personal accolades and will continue to win Harts, Art Ross's, Lindsays. The top 10 lists and stuff like that are just stupid fun made by fans. There's no way to objectively measure Greats when the league has such an old history and the game has evolved in so many facets. McDavid does need a Stanley Cup to be in the conversation though.
NeverForget06
Here we go again !
Let's say that Connor plays roughly the same amount of games that Sid has now. That is 1258 gp.
His current career PPG is 1.51. It probably won't be that way for his whole career. But if it was, he would have 1900 career points by the time he plays as many games as Sid has now. McDavid has a legitimate shot at being 2nd all time in points.
Doesn't mean a cup won't effect his legacy though. It won't make him a worse player. But he's got to win one ! I think if he wins a handful he could have a legitimate argument with the likes of Mario, Orr, etc for one of the best after Wayne.
His current career PPG is 1.51. It probably won't be that way for his whole career. But if it was, he would have 1900 career points by the time he plays as many games as Sid has now. McDavid has a legitimate shot at being 2nd all time in points.
Doesn't mean a cup won't effect his legacy though. It won't make him a worse player. But he's got to win one ! I think if he wins a handful he could have a legitimate argument with the likes of Mario, Orr, etc for one of the best after Wayne.
