6'9" Starting G/5'6" #1 C vs. 6'9" #1 C/5'6" Starting G

[bobholly39]

I think McDavid being 6'9" and having the same speed/coordination but adding the natural reach/puck protection his added height would give him would probably let him score at least 5 goals a game. There are at least 3 to 4 plays every game real McDavid plays now where he just can't reach the puck past the goalie on a half-breakaway.

The way you worded the question is a bit weird.

Because if you grant current day McDavid a wish and make him 6"9 inches tall - it sounds good on paper, but in practice it becomes harder to skate as fast with the bigger frame. That's why someone like Mario Lemieux was so unique, someone with that size yet also the most skilled of all-time is....special.

If you give Hasek size - it's true he also has to adapt to his athletics to his bigger frame, but i think that's easier since he's not constantly skating as a skater is.

ie - there's more negatives associated with a skater being tall than a goalie.

 

[Cloned]

The way you worded the question is a bit weird.

Because if you grant current day McDavid a wish and make him 6"9 inches tall - it sounds good on paper, but in practice it becomes harder to skate as fast with the bigger frame. That's why someone like Mario Lemieux was so unique, someone with that size yet also the most skilled of all-time is....special.

If you give Hasek size - it's true he also has to adapt to his athletics to his bigger frame, but i think that's easier since he's not constantly skating as a skater is.

ie - there's more negatives associated with a skater being tall than a goalie.

The point of the poll is to determine extremes. Someone as good as McDavid is but 6’9” instead. Someone as good as Hasek was but 6’9” instead.

 

[bobholly39]

The point of the poll is to determine extremes. Someone as good as McDavid is but 6’9” instead. Someone as good as Hasek was but 6’9” instead.

If McDavid could keep his exact skill + talent + speed + all-else level - and if McDavid today hypothetically was 5"6 instead of 6"1 and turned into 6"9 - that would be a much bigger advantage for him than similar thing for Hasek.

It's tricky because - going to 6"9 adds a lot more negativity to a skater (starting with speed) than it would for a goalie (generally more size = good).

At the end of the day - Hasek didn't need to be bigger. He was better than any goalie at stopping pucks - would being bigger help him stop a few more? Sure, maybe, but his sv% in one season going up for 930 to....935 or 938 doesn't really change a whole lot.

If McDavid has the reach of a 6"9 guy vs a 5"6 guy, it would be a much bigger boost. It would help him score a lot more goals that was just out of his reach as you described earlier (clearly he wouldn't be scoring 5 goals a game though...) But again - that's ignoring all the negatives that come with it too

 

[Fig]

A 6'9 Hasek with athleticism doesn't have to move even if he has the athleticism. It kinda neuters his athleticism. He'd still be a brick wall to get past though and likely ranks top 3 every year for SV%.
A 5'6 Hasek maximizes his athleticism. But he's limited in his ceiling potential. A 5'6 Hasek is still a darn good goalie who at least to me seems like it would be at least league average goal tending.

A 6'9 CMD maximizing CMD's speed is scary and he would be a man among boys. He'd likely be top 3 every year for points.
A 5'6 CMD is basically a fast little bugger. Like a Gaudreau. Maybe not even top 10 in points on a consistent basis, but still very much ahead of average and still technically elite.

I can see why super goalie and tiny C is running away with this from a stats point of view. I still think it would make for boring games to watch though (Assuming the alternate combo isn't plopped into the league).

 

[StoneHands]

I mean actually unstoppable though. He'd probably score 400+ points in a 82 game schedule.

If we're going to assume all other things remain the same then McDavid would be 6'9" but still around 200lbs. Being tall doesn't automatically make you better, stronger, or harder to knock off the puck.

Assuming same speed and same coordination for the purposes of the poll. Imagine the stride length at 6'9" with that speed, he'd cover the entire ice surface in 2 seconds.

The length of stride is irrelevant though. Does it matter if it take someone 20 strides to skate the length of the rink or 2 strides if they both get there at the same time?

 

[Cloned]

If we're going to assume all other things remain the same then McDavid would be 6'9" but still around 200lbs. Being tall doesn't automatically make you better, stronger, or harder to knock off the puck.


The length of stride is irrelevant though. Does it matter if it take someone 20 strides to skate the length of the rink or 2 strides if they both get there at the same time?

I didn’t cover the weight issue because I thought it would overly complicate the question, exactly in the way that people are having trouble in the thread wrapping their head around the concept of a super tall, heavier McDavid retaining the same speed, dexterity and coordination as real life McDavid. But the poll is assuming these things to be the case.

In regards to the second part, I’ll say he retains the same skating as real life but his stride length probably increases his efficiency and reduces the potential for defenders to be able to match his stride and speed.

 

[StoneHands]

I didn’t cover the weight issue because I thought it would overly complicate the question, exactly in the way that people are having trouble in the thread wrapping their head around the concept of a super tall, heavier McDavid retaining the same speed, dexterity and coordination as real life McDavid. But the poll is assuming these things to be the case.

In regards to the second part, I’ll say he retains the same skating as real life but his stride length probably increases his efficiency and reduces the potential for defenders to be able to match his stride and speed.

Ok then if you're assuming that McDavid would be heavier then you also have to assume the goaltender would be heavier. I can't even imagine trying to score on a 6'9" 240lb goalie with the quickness and flexibility of Hasek.

 

[LuLover96]

Height can help make you more effective defensively but it does not affect your offensive game really.

Longer arms and twig means harder slap shot with the same technique.

 

[LuLover96]

I see your Gaudreau and raise you a Marty St. Louis, Theo Fleury, Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer, Marcel Dionne, Brad Marchand.... need I go on?

its easier to win with a 5'6 #1c with Mcadvid skill and a 6'9 hasek than it would be with it being reversed. Can you even name 2 goalies that had successful careers being even close to 5'6?

As for the poll, if I'm trying to win a cup, I take the 5'6 McDavid and 6'9 Hasek. If I'm trying to have the best player in the NHL and most fun team to watch, I take the 6'9 McDavid and 5'6 Hasek. 5'6 Hasek will be too short to make up for the difference 6'9 McDavid makes in his 22 minutes of ice time.

Gump Worsely, Roy Worters and Tiny Thompson.

In 1940 it’d be a different story, but right now you need the height advantage in a goalie. Too often we see tendies dropping into the butterfly immediately and leave the 4 hole and far sides of the net open. That issue isn’t as prevalent with a bigger goalie.

 

[Cloned]

Ok then if you're assuming that McDavid would be heavier then you also have to assume the goaltender would be heavier. I can't even imagine trying to score on a 6'9" 240lb goalie with the quickness and flexibility of Hasek.

Which is fair. I just think a 6’9” McDavid probably scores or sets up a goal every second or third shift.

 

[Canuck Luck]

Gump Worsely, Roy Worters and Tiny Thompson.

In 1940 it’d be a different story, but right now you need the height advantage in a goalie. Too often we see tendies dropping into the butterfly immediately and leave the 4 hole and far sides of the net open. That issue isn’t as prevalent with a bigger goalie.

Tiny Thompson was 5'10. so theres 2. Gump's numbers compared to todays would be avg starter numbers. Like you said with the advancement of hockey though, a 5'6 goalie would not be able to make up for how fast,hard, and accurate players can shoot today.

 

[StoneHands]

Longer arms and twig means harder slap shot with the same technique.

But he already said everything else remains the same. That means speed, agility, shot would all be the same, he would simply be taller. If you're going to say that longer arms and stick would lead to a harder shot that would be a logical assumption but we would also have to assume his agility and acceleration would take a hit. We can't assume that McDavid would have all the advantages of being bigger while not also experiencing the disadvantages.

 

[mriswith]

Is there even such a thing as an elite 5'6 goalie?

Took that option just on that basis alone. The acrobatics and reflexes would have to be mind blowing every night for a 5'6 goalie to stay in the league, let alone be elite. The entertainment value would be through the roof.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

I think if we are using McDavid we should be picking a current goalie as well. Using Hasek is a difference maker.

 

[Jumptheshark]

It is threads like this that cause me to question people not understanding certain facts of them game

When I was 18 I was 6 foot 2 and 200 pounds

played a pick game against a kid that was 5'6 and 150 pounds

So this thread says you take me over the smurf?

The smurfs name?

Paul FIKCING Kariya !!!

Game took place in East Vancouver when PK was like 14 or 15 or something

the kid smoked me when we were on the ice at the same time

 

[LuLover96]

But he already said everything else remains the same. That means speed, agility, shot would all be the same, he would simply be taller. If you're going to say that longer arms and stick would lead to a harder shot that would be a logical assumption but we would also have to assume his agility and acceleration would take a hit. We can't assume that McDavid would have all the advantages of being bigger while not also experiencing the disadvantages.

Oh I agree 100%, but I’m just adding that little nugget in. I voted for tall goalie lol

 

[spiny norman]

Lopsided result.