Not really. Scoring was lower in the mid-1950s than it is today, with a large talent pool. Players like Kucherov and McDavid have, in the past couple of years, separated themselves more from the pack than anyone (except Howe '51-'54) did consistently in the 1950s. Also, Gretzky and Lemieux separated themselves far more than anyone did in the 50s/60s.
That is anecdotal. A sample size of 10 years (or even far more than that) is inadequate in refuting a statistical probability. It is a statistical probability that creating separation from a larger pool is likely to be more difficult.
Lemieux and Gretzky also competed against a relatively weak talent pool. The NHL has nearly double the international NHL participation rate now than it did in the 80s. Canada's population has dramatically increased since 1960. Canada's birth rates (per capita) have gone down since the baby boom, but the population increase is so large that it has basically mitigated that. Canada is probably putting out as much talent as ever, or close to it, but instead of being 80%+ of the NHL, it amounts to 42% and falling.
(I've read the arguments in the history forum about immigrants and fat/lazy video game playing kids today. I assume these types arguments are beneath you, but if they aren't, we can go there.)
Even anecdotally, over the past 4 years McDavid has a
6% point advantage over #2 (Kucherov), and McDavid has
24% fewer goals than the best goal scorer (31 to 34 year-old Ovechkin).
From '51-54, Howe had a
30% advantage over #2 in goals (29 to 32 year-old Maurice Richard), and a
33% advantage over #2 in points.
Over the past couple of years, McDavid and Kucherov are a cumulative minus 1% VsX in points because Draisaitl is the leader, and minus 32% VsX in goals (Ovechkin).
Where is this separation you speak of?
^^^This is what VsX shows.
If anything, the anecdotal evidence supports my point, and refutes yours. But you knew that, which is why you felt the need to remove the top player from consideration for the 50s, and count two players as the top player for the 2010s. You made it not-VsX apples vs not-VsX oranges because if you did not, you wouldn't have a point.