McDavid vs Ovechkin

Do you think McDavid will eclipse Ovechkin's career and be an all-time better player?


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    170

GodEmperor

Registered User
Oct 12, 2017
2,919
3,168
Eclipse is a large task, Ovechkin stood toe to toe with arguably a top 5 player OAT and even bested him a few times.

I think right now, you can pencil McDavid in for at least a similar career, but it's definitely going to be tough because of Ovechkin's awards, his unique style of play and his beastly goal scoring abilities.

People forget, but Ovechkin was an absolute rocket when he came into the NHL, a rocket at 230lbs+ no less....just ridiculous.
 
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bambamcam4ever

107 and counting
Feb 16, 2012
14,302
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Probably pretty similar, although I'm starting to doubt McDavid will peak as high. I think their career arcs will be pretty similar as well due to their reliance on athleticism.
 

Asiantuntija

C.Ronaldo > L.Messi
Nov 4, 2016
2,211
376
He is already better player because he has better production and knows how to play defense. Also center > winger.
 

bathdog

Registered User
Oct 27, 2016
920
157
Flip a coin I'd say as far as career goes. Ovechkin has done well, was largely healthy but was also a bit inconsistent. McDavid got potential.

I doubt he'll have a greater actual peak stretch than Ovechkin though.
 

Halla

Registered User
Jan 28, 2016
14,727
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OV had 65 goals and 112 pts in his 3rd season.
163g/310 total pts through his first 3 years


Mcdavid is on pace for 39g/100pts
that would give him 79g/248 pts

OV, and it isn't that close. When Mcdavid starts getting 50g AND 100+ pts he can be mentioned in the same convo as the great 8
 

daver

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Apr 4, 2003
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OV had 65 goals and 112 pts in his 3rd season.
163g/310 total pts through his first 3 years


Mcdavid is on pace for 39g/100pts
that would give him 79g/248 pts

OV, and it isn't that close. When Mcdavid starts getting 50g AND 100+ pts he can be mentioned in the same convo as the great 8

Look up the word context in the dictonary and then apply some.
 

daver

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I would put McDavid in the Top 5 of talent (OV, Crosby, Jagr, Lindros) that has entered the league since Wayne/Mario and he has had one of the best starts to a career that started as an 18 year old in NHL history. The former means he has the potential to use that talent to reach the 2nd tier of all-time greats which includes forwards like Hull, Richard, Belliveau and maybe Jagr if he has a somewhat injury-free career and playoff performances/success that stands apart from the pack. The latter needs to be taken with a grain of salt as players these days, especially prodigies, seem to be a lot more NHL ready at age 18.

OV has a regular season resume that puts him among the 2nd tier but is lacking in his playoff legacy. I am not convinced that McDavid will have a playoff resume that is befitting his regular season resume when all is said and done as, like OV, I don't think he has the all around offensive versatility to be as good in the playoffs.
 

Nathaniel

Registered User
Oct 18, 2013
13,603
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McDavid should surpass ovechkin. I can't see McDavid scoring 65, 69, 71 point full seasons in his prime. Just a different type of talent
 

KoozNetsOff 92

Hala Madrid
Apr 6, 2016
8,567
8,229
I would put McDavid in the Top 5 of talent (OV, Crosby, Jagr, Lindros) that has entered the league since Wayne/Mario and he has had one of the best starts to a career that started as an 18 year old in NHL history. The former means he has the potential to use that talent to reach the 2nd tier of all-time greats which includes forwards like Hull, Richard, Belliveau and maybe Jagr if he has a somewhat injury-free career and playoff performances/success that stands apart from the pack. The latter needs to be taken with a grain of salt as players these days, especially prodigies, seem to be a lot more NHL ready at age 18.

OV has a regular season resume that puts him among the 2nd tier but is lacking in his playoff legacy. I am not convinced that McDavid will have a playoff resume that is befitting his regular season resume when all is said and done as, like OV, I don't think he has the all around offensive versatility to be as good in the playoffs.

OV was a great playoff performer from 07/08-10/11, 50pts (25G) in 37 GP (1.35 PPG). It's not his fault that during his peak/prime years he had incompetent management that couldn't find any decent support for him. No goalie, terrible D, no 2C. Those caps teams were pitiful in terms of being built to succeed in the playoffs. And it didn't help when guys who were supposed to be great scorers like Semin and Green decided to combine for zero goals in a series. OV himself was fine, he was handicapped by his team. Something that I feel will hold McDavid back as well, especially as long as Chia is around.
 

Thenameless

Registered User
Apr 29, 2014
3,854
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I went with "no". McDavid certainly has the potential to be more, especially based on last year, but the odds of having a better career in total are still against him, as so many bad things can happen to de-rail a good career.

As far as pure goal scoring ability goes, I only have Gretzky and Lemieux definitely ahead of Ovechkin. And I have Ovechkin neck and neck with Bobby Hull after them. While McDavid could still become a more well-rounded offensive threat, he'll never come near this stratosphere of goal scoring.
 

daver

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OV was a great playoff performer from 07/08-10/11, 50pts (25G) in 37 GP (1.35 PPG). It's not his fault that during his peak/prime years he had incompetent management that couldn't find any decent support for him. No goalie, terrible D, no 2C. Those caps teams were pitiful in terms of being built to succeed in the playoffs. And it didn't help when guys who were supposed to be great scorers like Semin and Green decided to combine for zero goals in a series. OV himself was fine, he was handicapped by his team. Something that I feel will hold McDavid back as well, especially as long as Chia is around.

Sure but he has been mediocre since then and clearly has had good teams surrounding him. His immediate peers and other all-time greats simply have better playoff resumes regardless of how you view the team around him. Many Pens fans claim that management/coaching kept them from even more success after 2009.

He is arguably a Top Ten playoff performer of his era.
 

daver

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I went with "no". McDavid certainly has the potential to be more, especially based on last year, but the odds of having a better career in total are still against him, as so many bad things can happen to de-rail a good career.

As far as pure goal scoring ability goes, I only have Gretzky and Lemieux definitely ahead of Ovechkin. And I have Ovechkin neck and neck with Bobby Hull after them. While McDavid could still become a more well-rounded offensive threat, he'll never come near this stratosphere of goal scoring.

Like the elite all great offensive talents, I see McDavid as a generator of offense that makes a goals vs. assists argument somewhat of a moot one.
 

authentic

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
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I don't buy the goals argument here. McDavid is already a better two-way player than Ovechkin ever was and he hasn't reached his peak yet. Barring any serious injury I think he goes on to have a better individual career than Ovechkin or even Crosby for that matter.
 

bobholly39

Registered User
Mar 10, 2013
22,078
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I voted yes. But could be no.

McDavid is close enough to Crosby that he could surpass him all time. It's not like the talent isn't there. It's going to come down to how he "puts it together".

Is anyone here going to claim they think it's impossible for McDavid to score 120+ points in a season, even in today's NHL? He's so talented, it's possible. But he's also only pacing for 100 points this year.
Playoffs. Will he make them often, to begin with? And once there - will he carry his team to cups - maybe even win a smythe or 2? He could, but a lot of things have to go right.

I think Ovi/Crosby were a 1a/1b in the NHL at the same time - and honestly Malkin was a 1c with them many years. I don't really see anyone on McDavid's talent level in the NHL today, as a forward. So he might have more of an opening to win regular season trophies than either Ovechkin or Crosby did, and as such maybe he wins more.

All this to say. Crosby ranks above Ovechkin all time. And McDavid could still pass Crosby. He could also fall far short of Ovechkin. It just depends how he puts things together. I'll be somewhat optimistic and vote yes.
 
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Fatty McLardy

Registered User
Oct 6, 2017
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Mcdavid needs to work on his finishing ability. He get more chances than any player i ever seen...Ovechkin made his career from continuously firing pucks from everywhere....Mcdavid will never have a shot like Ovechkin but if he can finish even little bit more of those 2 on 1's or partial breakaways, he'll go the Crosby route and win the Rocket Richard and just like Sid, he'll be the better player and have a better career than Ovechkin...
 

Nadal On Clay

Djokovic > Nadal > Federer
Oct 11, 2017
3,062
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I think McDavid (in the best of the worlds) will end up in the same tier as Sid, Hull Sr, Beliveau and Richard when it’s all said and done. I think he will have one of the best RS resume of all time, but will lacks the playoff achievements, like Ovechkin.
 

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