So wait, in what way is Drai not as good as Malkin? If Evgeni was here the anthem would be slow lazy Russian.
The boxcars so far say Leon is just as good, and he never had a D like Letang to work off and get fantastic breakouts all the time.
Drai is on an identical pts pace as Malkin career wise and frankly Malkin looks like a fat donut out there now. he was being jeered on the broadcast today.
Drai pretty much matched Malkins career high in an abbreviated season last year. How is it automatic to anybody that Malkin is better. We hate our own..
Malkin didn't need Crosby on the ice to get his points.
I don't hate Leon, he's my second favorite player, but if he's Malkin and McDavid is Crosby they shouldn't be this hard pressed to even win one game in the last two post-seasons.
Draisaitl hasn't proven he can put up big numbers without McDavid on the ice with him.
He had a nice 25-27 ish game stretch last year with the DRY line, but that is not equivalent to Malkin putting the Penguins on his back and lifting even a struggling Crosby in the 2009 Finals (for example) and single handedly delivering Pittsburgh a Cup.
Drai is a great player but until he consistently dominates opponents without McDavid on his line, he is not Malkin. Malkin is very special player.
The whole dynamic the Penguins had was you couldn't just focus on Crosby, because Malkin's line would kill you, the Oilers don't have this really. Not yet anyway.