Dahlin is generational.

[wetcoast]

The only generational players ever are:

Howie Morenz: First player to be a totally dominate player in his prime in the NHL and change the game up until his career ended.

Maurice Richard: Destroyed past scoring records and first player to score 50 in 50. A record that lasted over 25 years. For his era it is like scoring 75 goals in 75 games today.

Gordy Howe: The greatest player of his time that can score, was a great playmaker, and also the toughest meanest player in the league. Think about who is the best fighter today and also winning the scoring championships. Played 4 decades of competitive hockey. No one before or since has come close to his ability to be a NHL/WHA player at the age of 50. The ultimate greatest iron man in history.

Bobby Orr: Greatest defencemen that ever lived. Before Orr defencemen were all about defence and any offence was a luxury if a Dman scored at all. Orr changed all that. He won the scoring tidal twice and produce 6 consecutive season of a 100 points or more. Totally unheard of before Orr. Change the game on how defencemen were looked at for offensive capabilities by the NHL GM's. If he could of stayed healthy he may be the greatest player of all time. Definitely the greatest player that ever lived up until Gretzky.

Wayne Gretzky: Greatest player that ever lived. Not only did he break over 50 all time records over his career he destroyed all of them. There has not been a player before or since that has dominated the league like he did in his prime. No one today holds a candle to Gretzky at his best. Still holds all the scoring records almost 20 years after he retired.

Mario Lemieux: The only forward in history that actually can challenge Gretzky as one of the best ever. If Mario could of stayed healthy through his prime he may of challenged some of Gretzky's records but I still think he would be 2nd best. Mario was bigger and faster and almost as talented as Gretzky but was not at Gretzky's level. Absolutely the 2nd greatest forward that ever lived. The fact that both of these player played in the same era is a testament on good that era was.

These are the only generational players in NHL history.

I classified them by era first but for the best of the best is:

Gretzky
Orr
Lemieux
Howe
Richard
Morenz

No one today can be called generational but that does not mean they are not great players of their era.

there is no way that Morenz or Richard can be classified as generational on a list that is only 6 players long.

Maybe on a list 40 to 50 players long.

 

[vendetta]

I’d take heiskenan over Dahlin right now. But they’re both so young it could change every year for the next 5

 

[Bustedprospect]

Niklas Lidstrom didn’t have a booming shot either. If Dahlin is only a 10G guy who puts up 60A no one will care. Rasmus is truly an exceptional young player.

Lids had a great shot at around 21 years of age so its hard to compare. I think Rasmus need a lot of work in that department. Also getting some solid muscle and less of that shrimp-body. But he got plenty of time.

 

[SillyRabbit]

He is not winning the Calder “easily”

He’s not winning it period.

Pettersson another 4 point game with a period to play still.

 

[Icebreakers]

If Dahlin was truely generational he would win the Norris this year, or be nominated for it. A ~40 ish point season plus a Calder finalist isnt generational for a first overall pick. Thats what you call "expectations".

 

[Zaddy]

This 'generational' label is so overused that it is practically meaningless now.

 

[Unspecified]

This has already been hashed out, but Heiskanen is a full year older, and that makes a big difference. If Dahlin didn't play another game for the rest of the season, he'd be 17th all-time in scoring by an 18-year-old defenseman. What he's pacing to do over 82 games is practically unheard of. (Only Orr and Housley have scored 40+ as 18-year-olds.) And, in addition to scoring points and performing magic tricks with the puck, he's also steadily worked his way up to being the Sabres #1-2 D at even strength. A 19-year-old D producing at the level Heiskanen is is considerably less uncommon.

It's going to be a while before we find out whether Dahlin lives up to it, but I don't see how anyone can deny the kid's potential. Heiskanen looks like a gem, but Dahlin's got "special player" written all over him.

1 year older does not mean as much as people think especially when Heiskanen was playing with grown adults in the Finnish leagues all while making them look mediocre. Heiskanen has shown he is the best rookie D man this season.

5/9/18 – Miro Heiskanen’s European Fancy Stats

 

[cowboy82nd]

Toews, Gretzky, Orr, Lidstrom, Matthews, Lemieux and?

Who's number 7?

Toews is NOT generational.

 

[ElGuapo]

Heiskanen has passed Dahlin in points (15 to 14) with the same amount of games played (30). .5ppg is pretty good for a rookie D whose weakness is supposed to be offense.

 

[cardiffgiant]

Wow, leading him by an entire point. That's insane!

 

[WhatWhat]

Wow, leading him by an entire point. That's insane!

I mean back when Dahlin had a 2 point lead he was considered as "Clearly better offensively" by a lot of posters... I think its pretty damn safe to just admit they are on the same damn tier

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Heiskanen has passed Dahlin in points (15 to 14) with the same amount of games played (30). .5ppg is pretty good for a rookie D whose weakness is supposed to be offense.

On a weaker team, playing against top lines and the PK as well. Heiskanen > Dahlin (this season)

 

[Kamiccolo]

So to summarize, the consensus is that Bobby Orr is the only generational defenseman of all time.

Dahlin is the best D prospect since the 70's, he literally has everything you could want and is already doing historic things that have only been done by like 2 players ever. If he's not generational we will likely never see one again unless someone puts up McDavid numbers on defense.

This is what I don't get. Today we are happy to see an 18 year old D staying above water in the AHL or other pro leagues. Dahlin coems in at 18 and is going to put up over 30 points in the NHL at 18!!! and this is without coming into a roster that has the support a lot of young D have when they come in.

That's completely ignoring that while yes he has moments you can tell he is 18, his poise with the puck and decisions in his own zone are elite. He is already a #1 D at 18 in the NHL and people are saying he's not generational?

He is going to show it very soon. By the end of next year he is likely the best defensemen in the NHL as long as nothing unforseeable changes in his game.

So so jealous that Buffalo got this kid. Can't wait to see what he does when he gets on a better supporting cast both around him on the D core and forwards up front.

 

[Panthaz89]

On a weaker team, playing against top lines and the PK as well. Heiskanen > Dahlin (this season)

Dahlin has been on the top pairing for a while now with Bogosian....and the Sabres are like 3 points better than the Stars and hold a worse GD and the Sabres scoring depth has been completely dry for several games.

 

[Dynamite Time]

Being a Stars fan I see Heiskanen in games a lot more and I think he’s right there with Dahlin.

I’m not going to say either one is a generational player just yet cause they’re only 18 and 19 years old. Saying that though at 18 and 19 years old they look to be two of the best dman coming into the league in a while.

Dahlin has the better offensive side to his game while Heiskanen has a more well rounded game.

 

[Jarey Curry]

Toews, Gretzky, Orr, Lidstrom, Matthews, Lemieux and?

Who's number 7?

Oops Matthews is put again in the wrong category! Mistakes do happen often

 

[Jarey Curry]

No. But he's better than Toews.

3 stanley cup rings as captain plugging Toews ears

 

[Mattilaus]

1 year older does not mean as much as people think especially when Heiskanen was playing with grown adults in the Finnish leagues all while making them look mediocre. Heiskanen has shown he is the best rookie D man this season.

5/9/18 – Miro Heiskanen’s European Fancy Stats

We can also award Tampa Bay the stanley cup right now because they have shown they are the best team this season. Seasons aren't 30 games long and Heiskanen has not shown anything of the sort yet.

 

[tsujimoto74]

1 year older does not mean as much as people think especially when Heiskanen was playing with grown adults in the Finnish leagues all while making them look mediocre. Heiskanen has shown he is the best rookie D man this season.

5/9/18 – Miro Heiskanen’s European Fancy Stats

Very few defensemen are even capable of cracking an NHL roster at 18. The only other guy to do so recently was Ekblad, and he looked like he was 24 at 16. Considerably more D are playing in the NHL at 19. That extra year of development can be huge.

 

[nickdawg95]

Heiskanen has passed Dahlin in points (15 to 14) with the same amount of games played (30). .5ppg is pretty good for a rookie D whose weakness is supposed to be offense.

he's also 1 year older

 

[snowkiddin]

Lol. Not every great young player is generational.

 

[cardiffgiant]

he's also 1 year older

Not for long! Oh, wait...

 

[Asymmetric Solution]

Toews, Gretzky, Orr, Lidstrom, Matthews, Lemieux and?

Who's number 7?

Marty St. Louis

 

[nucks88]

This 'generational' label is so overused that it is practically meaningless now.

It is a stupid f***ing label....

 

[SteelerNation]

He’s not winning it period.

Pettersson another 4 point game with a period to play still.

EP > Dahlin AINEC