Datsyuk & Bergeron: Who had the better career?

[FrankSidebottom]

Bergeron is on the verge of 1000 points, probably it’s time to count the chickens. Two great players, who defined the modern two-way centre. Whose career is better? For Bergeron let’s assume he has another Selke nomination, 70sh point season, doesn’t win the cup and then retires. You can add this to the summary below.

Datsyuk:
RS: 953G, 918P, +249
PO: 157G, 113P, +34
Selke: 1-1-1-3-3-3-5-9
Hart: 3-9-10
2 Cups

Bergeron:
RS: 1232G, 997P, +264
PO: 167G, 127P, +48
Selke: 1-1-1-1-1-2-2-2-2-3-3-4-5
Hart: 5
1 Cup

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[centipede2233]

Datsyuk better player at peak, but the question is better career…and Datsyuk missed a lot of NHL seasons going overseas, so the answer is bergeron

 

[Regal]

Datsyuk still had 14 seasons and nearly 1000 games. While his career was a little on the short side, it wasn’t a Lindros or Bure type career, and Bergeron missed nearly a full year with his concussion and wasn’t back to 100% for a year or two after that. I don’t think the longevity edge is enough to make up for the difference in play.

 

[Puckclektr]

Bergeron career wise. Prime and peak would be Datsyuk.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

Datsyuk easily by far. And I like Bergeron. But Datsyuk is the best player of his generation, period.

 

[Canovin]

Datsyuk 3peat the Selke. I think he would have won it more times if he wasn't tired of winning Selke's

 

[Sheppy]

Bergeron’s career isn’t over yet.

He’s also probably heading for another selke, as well.

 

[BlueMed]

Bergeron is getting so overrated. He's a very solid all-around player, but Datsyuk was THE best 2-way player during his time in the NHL. People are forgetting that Bergeron got beat in the finals TWICE by Toews and O'Reilly.

 

[wintersej]

I wouldn’t have expected their playoff numbers to be so similar on the offensive side.

My answer to this always uses to be “Datsyuk, but Bergeron better defensively”.

Bergeron’s prime has been soooooo long even if he didn’t peak like Datsyuk I am
just not sure anymore. I mean who the heck is still having career seasons at Bergeron’s age?

A point in Datsyuk’s favor, however, is that head to head he usually ate Bergeron’s lunch and he is the only guy that can really consistently say that. Sure there have been individual series like the Cup Final against the Blues where ROR outplayed an injured Bergeron, but not consistently like Datsyuk.

Bergeron is getting so overrated. He's a very solid all-around player, but Datsyuk was THE best 2-way player during his time in the NHL. People are forgetting that Bergeron got beat in the finals TWICE by Toews and O'Reilly.

I mean he did have a punctured lung and a pile of other injuries in one of those series. And a pulled groin that killed his skating in the other.

 

[Sinistril]

Datsyuk easily by far. And I like Bergeron. But Datsyuk is the best player of his generation, period.

?

 

[Agent Zub]

uhhh how is bergeron winning this.

The better player had the better NHL career.

 

[Connor McConnor]

Datsyuk and not that close for me. Bergeron is the staple of consistency but I’ve never considered him a top 10 player in the League at any point during his entire career

 

[Crow]

Too close to call for me. Voted Dats because of the extra cup and offense but I kind of regret it.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Bergeron is on the verge of 1000 points, probably it’s time to count the chickens. Two great players, who defined the modern two-way centre. Whose career is better? For Bergeron let’s assume he has another Selke nomination, 70sh point season, doesn’t win the cup and then retires. You can add this to the summary below.

Datsyuk:
RS: 953G, 918P, +249
PO: 157G, 113P, +34
Selke: 1-1-1-3-3-3-5-9
Hart: 3-9-10
2 Cups

Bergeron:
RS: 1232G, 997P, +264
PO: 167G, 127P, +48
Selke: 1-1-1-1-1-2-2-2-2-3-3-4-5
Hart: 5
1 Cup

Datsyuk was the better player but Bergeron probably has had the better overall career

 

[tabness]

It's funny how much I miss Datsyuk nowadays, while he was playing, sort of took it for granted. Don't really feel that way about other favorite players who retired in the recent past, only about the nineties stars...

Datsyuk easily by far. And I like Bergeron. But Datsyuk is the best player of his generation, period.

You gonna get chirped for this from the hockey reference bots for saying this, but honestly, this entire new NHL era is so overrated in general, but thankfully, we had Datsyuk to make it worth watching, and you can clearly see Datsyuk's impact in the uptick in skill and creativity we've seen in the last five years.

 

[MAB1]

Datsyuk at his peak was arguably the best overall player in the NHL. Bergeron is a stud and as good as they come defensively but give me Dats.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

2 of the most overrated players ever. Bergeron being called the "best 2 way player ever" is such a joke, he's never finished top 10 in goals, assists or pts. Great defensively but 2C offensively. Datsyuk at least won his Selkes while finishing top 10 in pts. That's someone who can be argued as the best 2 way player ever.

 

[Bouboumaster]

Datsyuk had a better peak, but it's hard for me to argue against 5 Selke

 

[The Red Line]

2 of the most overrated players ever. Bergeron being called the "best 2 way player ever" is such a joke, he's never finished top 10 in goals, assists or pts. Great defensively but 2C offensively. Datsyuk at least won his Selkes while finishing top 10 in pts. That's someone who can be argued as the best 2 way player ever.

Huh?

 

[FrankSidebottom]

Extremely close so far.

 

[Zuluss]

Top 10 finishes in points:
Datsyuk 4th-4th-10th
Bergeron none

Top10 finishes in assists
Datsyuk 2nd-5th-8th-8th-9th
Bergeron none

Add to that a Hart nomination for Datsyuk and a higher ppg of Datsyuk despite him playing in a lower-scoring environment, and the difference between primes is too large to cover with extra longevity.

 

[LightningStorm]

Top 10 finishes in points:
Datsyuk 4th-4th-10th
Bergeron none

Top10 finishes in assists
Datsyuk 2nd-5th-8th-8th-9th
Bergeron none

Add to that a Hart nomination for Datsyuk and a higher ppg of Datsyuk despite him playing in a lower-scoring environment, and the difference between primes is too large to cover with extra longevity.

Basically how I view it. Datsyuk's prime was superior to the point where Bergeron's superior longevity isn't enough to close the gap. Datsyuk ranks higher all time for me.

 

[daver]

Datsyuk at his peak was arguably the best overall player in the NHL. Bergeron is a stud and as good as they come defensively but give me Dats.

He had one regular season where he bested one of the Big 3 (Crosby in 08/09), but not by much. Any thoughts that he deserved mention with the Big 3 were extinguished once the playoffs started that year. He was arguably the best 2nd tier player of his generation/late 00s to early '10s vs. Joe T. and Kane.

That being said, this is better than Bergeron's peak but career is close.

 

[Buck Naked]

Bergeron is getting so overrated. He's a very solid all-around player, but Datsyuk was THE best 2-way player during his time in the NHL. People are forgetting that Bergeron got beat in the finals TWICE by Toews and O'Reilly.

I agree with the first part of your post, but the bolded is such a ridiculous claim. Boston got beat by Chicago and St. Louis. No player wins the cup on his own. Datsyuk was a much better regular season player during his peak, but if you wanna compare playoff resume I don't think that claim carries over without debate. They both have one cup each where they played an important part and outside of that they're pretty much even in terms of playoff performance.

 

[centipede2233]

Are we factoring in international play? If so, bergeron’s multiple gold medals (world jr., 2 olympics and a World Cup) should narrow whatever gap there is