Draisaitl is making a case of being better than mcdavid

[thadd]

It only looks that way if you don't watch Oiler games.
Would be interesting to see Drai's point totals for January and this month if Yamma and Hopkins had been playing with McDavid and if Kassian and Neal/Archibald/Gagner had been playing with Drai.

 

[SecretOilersFan]

Yeah as an Oiler fan that is stretching it. There is no one as dynamic out there with the puck than McD. Defenses literally crumble when he goes out there. His speed with the puck is otherworldly.

Plus Drai gets basically our best two wingers to play with McD had Kass and Archie (which to be fair had a great game today). McD I think would put up similar point totals with those two. Not discrediting Drai's Hart caliber play but I think in the long run (if McD can stop getting injured) I think there is no question who will have the better career.

 

[yababy]

There are like three things total that Drai does better: Use his body to protect the puck, pass on his backhand and one time the puck.

Other than that McDavid has him beat on everything. Take it from somebody who has literally watched every game either player has ever played in the NHL. McDavid is better.

You forgot face offs, and making his line mates better, and...

 

[DarthProbert]

Good player performs well without best player =/= Good player being better than the best.

Good player outperforming "best" player in every demonstrable metric somehow =/= being the best player.

There are like three things total that Drai does better: Use his body to protect the puck, pass on his backhand and one time the puck.

Other than that McDavid has him beat on everything. Take it from somebody who has literally watched every game either player has ever played in the NHL. McDavid is better.

I've watched the same games and I disagree.

It's so lazy to think that if fans think McDavid is better than Draisaitl that it is somehow linked to some North American hockey player bias. Like how stupid is that train of thought....

You're the only one who brought that angle up or even hinted at it.

 

[yababy]

Draisaitl's game might actually be better suited and translate better in the playoffs than McDavid's.

agree. Mcdavid needs space to move which is in short supply in the postseason

 

[Da McBomb]

agree. Mcdavid needs space to move which is in short supply in the postseason

Drai was the Oilers best player in the Anaheim series in which they lost. I think that was his coming out party

 

[Cup or Bust]

Draisaitl is having an amazing season and I couldn't be happier as an Oilers fan. I defended the fact Draisaitl could carry a line as long as it has top 6 level players on it. It failed multiple times in the past because the Oilers could not provide that. To suggest he is better then McDavid though is laughable. Let McDavid play with RNH and Yamamoto for 10-15 games and let Draisaitl play with Neal and Kassian for 10-15 games and then you will see why McDavid is the better player. McDavid still scores at a high level no matter who he plays with. Draisaitl will play great in the right situation, McDavid plays great in any situation.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Nice to have both guys if you’re Edmonton.

 

[Satire]

It only looks that way if you don't watch Oiler games.
Would be interesting to see Drai's point totals for January and this month if Yamma and Hopkins had been playing with McDavid and if Kassian and Neal/Archibald/Gagner had been playing with Drai.

This. Drai is super amazing and I don't want to sell him short... but a big part of his recent success away from McDavid is having a really solid line to produce with. McDavid doesn't have that and to be frank doesn't need it to still put up points at a blistering pace. Different players with different strengths. Both excellent, but I still give the edge to McDavid.

Can't wait for the day McDavid has an elite finisher on his line. Drai was very good at that but his biggest strength is still his passing vision and ability to protect and cycle the puck.

 

[nabob]

Draisaitl is having an amazing season and I couldn't be happier as an Oilers fan. I defended the fact Draisaitl could carry a line as long as it has top 6 level players on it. It failed multiple times in the past because the Oilers could not provide that. To suggest he is better then McDavid though is laughable. Let McDavid play with RNH and Yamamoto for 10-15 games and let Draisaitl play with Neal and Kassian for 10-15 games and then you will see why McDavid is the better player. McDavid still scores at a high level no matter who he plays with. Draisaitl will play great in the right situation, McDavid plays great in any situation.

so now you’re saying Drai actually is in fact a product of Yamamoto?

 

[MessierII]

Product of Josh Archibald

 

[Cup or Bust]

so now you’re saying Drai actually is in fact a product of Yamamoto?

Learn to read, then talk to me.

 

[Royal Thunder]

Draisaitl's game might actually be better suited and translate better in the playoffs than McDavid's.

He was a monster when they made it in 2017

 

[SotasicA]

On pace for 132pts.

 

[duul]

I don't think Draisaitl is better than McDavid, but he is probably the 2nd best player in the world. When him and MacKinnon are on, it's one of them.

Draisaitl has the luxury of playing with two other pretty good players in RNH and Yams. McDavid has been saddled with complete dog shit linemates since Draisaitl moved to C. Swap wingers and this season's scoring race plays out a lot differently.

Love them both.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Product of Josh Archibald

That's Stanley Cup winner Josh Archibald to you.

 

[RalphKing]

He will be a beast in the playoffs

 

[illpucks]

I don't think Draisaitl is better than McDavid, but he is probably the 2nd best player in the world. When him and MacKinnon are on, it's one of them.

Draisaitl has the luxury of playing with two other pretty good players in RNH and Yams. McDavid has been saddled with complete dog **** linemates since Draisaitl moved to C. Swap wingers and this season's scoring race plays out a lot differently.

Love them both.

MacKinnon trains with Crosby in the offseason every year. So he's cheating. He's good because he trains with Sid.

 

[strattonius]

You're the only one who brought that angle up or even hinted at it.

"It is not what North American fans want to hear".

This quote was in the original post not sure how I brought it up.

To me it implies that fans who think McDavid is the better of the two players have a North American hockey player bias - as if to paint fans as 'Don Cherrys' ..so to speak.

 

[DarthProbert]

Draisaitl is having an amazing season and I couldn't be happier as an Oilers fan. I defended the fact Draisaitl could carry a line as long as it has top 6 level players on it. It failed multiple times in the past because the Oilers could not provide that. To suggest he is better then McDavid though is laughable. Let McDavid play with RNH and Yamamoto for 10-15 games and let Draisaitl play with Neal and Kassian for 10-15 games and then you will see why McDavid is the better player. McDavid still scores at a high level no matter who he plays with. Draisaitl will play great in the right situation, McDavid plays great in any situation.

Oh ffs. Give Draisaitl AHL wingers and "he needs to carry his own line!" Give him NHL wingers and "well obviously he outscores McDavid, he has NHL wingers!" Where's the "McDavid needs to carry his own line"? If you like watching McDavid fine, but the leaps of logic and doublethink have gotten ridiculous.

 

[JoVel]

If he has another year of finishing ahead of McDavid, then maybe. Right now absolutely not.

 

[Cup or Bust]

Oh ffs. Give Draisaitl AHL wingers and "he needs to carry his own line!" Give him NHL wingers and "well obviously he outscores McDavid, he has NHL wingers!" Where's the "McDavid needs to carry his own line"? If you like watching McDavid fine, but the leaps of logic and doublethink have gotten ridiculous.

McDavid has been carrying his line no matter who is on it. What have you been watching?

 

[SK13]

Good player outperforming "best" player in every demonstrable metric somehow =/= being the best player.

For the same reason Nikita Kucherov wasn't better than McDavid last year. There's other shit afoot, man.

Like how Draisaitl has had all the good linemates since taking over in any metric and McDavid's been pulling along third and fourth line role players. And even then they were pacing each other in both categories til McDavid got hurt.

I've watched the same games and I disagree.

Yeah but I'm better than you are at this so what of it?

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

Product of Josh Archibald

Archibald takes all of the tough matchups, leaving Draisaitl to feast on easy competition

 

[SK13]

Oh ffs. Give Draisaitl AHL wingers and "he needs to carry his own line!" Give him NHL wingers and "well obviously he outscores McDavid, he has NHL wingers!" Where's the "McDavid needs to carry his own line"? If you like watching McDavid fine, but the leaps of logic and doublethink have gotten ridiculous.

McDavid has consistently been a 100 point or better player no matter who is on his line since he was 19 years old. Benoit Pouliot, Jordan Eberle, Ty Rattie, Patrick Maroon, Josh Archibald, Zack Kassian - it didn't matter. It's never mattered. Don't think it's an accident that Drai's first time matching that level of production out on his own comes with two really good players. He kinda needs it, McDavid kinda doesn't. That's why Drai got them and McDavid didn't.

Your claim to have watched all these games and NOT know this is dubious indeed.