If Kuch and McD both get 100 assists

[sxvnert]

Lets hope so. Splitting the spotlight will ass blast the oilers fanbase.

 

[KevinFinnerty]

if a Canadian player does it he's the GOAT, if a Russian with the highest IQ in the league does it? meh.

 

[Sweetpotato]

Nah. Look at the lead they have on 3rd and 4th. Look at McDavids lead on Draisaitl on his own team in terms of assists. Draisaitl is one of the best passers in the league himself and is being lapped. I think we're just fortunate to see 2 guys turn it up to try and match the best player in the generation.

 

[Voight]

Kucherov is a top 5 player of his era. I dont understand why people think him hitting 100 assists is "bad" or not as impressive as McDavid doing it.

Had he been healthy in 2020 + 2021, this would've been his 6th straight season finishing in the top 10 for points.

 

[KevinRedkey]

McDavid is one of the absolute best point producers of all-time. Kucherov keeping up with him is more of a testament of how incredible he (also) is, than a devaluation of the acheivement IMO.

 

[blankall]

Kucherov is a top 5 player of his era. I dont understand why people think him hitting 100 assists is "bad" or not as impressive as McDavid doing it.

Had he been healthy in 2020 + 2021, this would've been his 6th straight season finishing in the top 10 for points.

That's not what people are saying.

A once in a generation feat becomes less once in a generation, if it happens multiple times. That suggests that conditions are changing enough to make it easier to accomplish.

To compare eras it's not as simple as looking at total goals. You'd also have to look at things like power plays given, goals against for the player, offensive zone starts, etc.. To compare to changing roles of players.

 

[DJJones]

Scoring is up and the league is going to push it even higher.

Wouldn't be surprised if it's broken a few times in the next 5-10 years.

 

[RussianGuyovich]

Scoring is up and the league is going to push it even higher.

Wouldn't be surprised if it's broken a few times in the next 5-10 years.

scoring is up most likely due to expansion and dilution of talent (specifically defense), which will reset itself to a relatively stable equilibrium soon through more european players and maybe even more influx of american talent. either way, i dont suppose this scoring trend will continue in a linear upward line like you seem to think.

 

[HolyHagelin]

scoring is up most likely due to expansion and dilution of talent (specifically defense), which will reset itself to a relatively stable equilibrium soon through more european players and maybe even more influx of american talent. either way, i dont suppose this scoring trend will continue in a linear upward line like you seem to think.

Not linear, for sure, more like asymptotic - nobody will ever hit 300P in 82 games.

 

[Juxta Position]

if a Canadian player does it he's the GOAT, if a Russian with the highest IQ in the league does it? meh.

You're right, his ability to "sense" when the other team has pulled their goalie is unparalleled.

all kidding aside, i hope he does do it. that means we are lucky enough to witness two players in the same era accomplish an incredibly rare feat.

Just because gretzky and lemieux played in the same era doesn't diminish any of the feats they accomplished, we were just lucky to watch both players at the same time.

 

[DJJones]

scoring is up most likely due to expansion and dilution of talent (specifically defense), which will reset itself to a relatively stable equilibrium soon through more european players and maybe even more influx of american talent. either way, i dont suppose this scoring trend will continue in a linear upward line like you seem to think.

Just make goalie equipment smaller. Cap skyrocketing up will make it a lot easier for teams to tank as well.

 

[User9992]

No kidding. Even last year, only Kucherov and McDavid were in the 80's, 2 other players in the 70's and then usual mass group in the 60's for assists.

Guys are talking like normal players are reaching these plateaus. Kucherov is about to put up the 2nd highest scoring season ever by a European after Jagr. He already holds the 1st and 2nd highest scoring seasons by a Russian.

Sorry, I was wrong

 

[Cup or Bust]

Obviously scoring is up, otherwise no one would be able to do it. Neither Gretzky or Lemieux would have been able to do it either if scoring was not up. No one was getting 100 assists when teams were only scoring 230-270 goals a season. A player has to have an amazing season to get 100 assists and I doubt it will be a trend.

 

[ijuka]

Obviously scoring is up, otherwise no one would be able to do it. Neither Gretzky or Lemieux would have been able to do it either if scoring was not up. No one was getting 100 assists when teams were only scoring 230-270 goals a season. A player has a have an amazing season to get 100 assists and I doubt it will be a trend.

Sure about that? Gretzky peaked at 163 assists.

 

[eXile3]

The NHL finally smartened up and saw what the NFL and NBA have done for a while. People want to see talented players create offense.

It’s just a shame Sid and OV had to go through some of the lowest scoring eras of the last 20 years.

For perspective 02-03 was the 25th lowest scoring year in a 106 season. 15-16 was the 30th. Of course I guess you could say the same of Howe and others who played during some of the lowest ever.

 

[blankall]

scoring is up most likely due to expansion and dilution of talent (specifically defense), which will reset itself to a relatively stable equilibrium soon through more european players and maybe even more influx of american talent. either way, i dont suppose this scoring trend will continue in a linear upward line like you seem to think.

Not sure I agree with this. The talent pool is also increasing, especially in the USA. As hockey takes on a larger role in the NCAA, you'll see far more kids getting into hockey with far more access to top level coaching and facilities. Also, there's far less of a role for the goon, who can barely play, if any role anymore. Modern day defenders all have to be legit NHLers.

 

[Coffey]

Will be the best Russian player of all time.

 

[Cup or Bust]

if a Canadian player does it he's the GOAT, if a Russian with the highest IQ in the league does it? meh.

No one is the GOAT just for getting 100 assists. It's a great milestone but a player needs to do much more over a career to be recognized with the best players ever.

 

[Offtheboard412]

Its still a very impressive feat no matter which way you look at it. It's a combination of both McDavid and Kucherov being very special players as well as the result of the league's efforts to open the game up and increase scoring all coming to a head. I just wish it would have happened sooner. Right now we have arguably 4 of the 5 best players of their generation all healthy and in their primes playing at their absolute peak level. As hockey fans we should not take it for granted, injuries are so common in the sport. Just look at what happened with the Crosby/Ovi/Malkin trio, after 2010 it was rare to get to see all 3 of them healthy and performing at their best within the same season.

 

[User9992]

If Kuch gets 100 Assists it will be amazing. He is already the only winger to get 90 Assists in single season & can potentially get 100!

 

[Raistlin]

for those that look at Trends, 92-93 was always looked to as a anomaly. a couple factors contributed to that. 2 expansion teams came in, back then expansion teams are dog$hit, they also expanded the season to 84 games. Which is 1 of the reasons why 2 guys scored over 70 goals, and Lemieux was challenging Gretzky's 92 record if he wasnt diagnosed with cancer midway.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

If Joe Thornton was in his prime now he pretty easily is a 100 assist guy I'd think. He had 92 and 96 assist seasons in dead puck eras. His 96 assist season he beat the 2nd guy in assists by 25. Mcdavid is beating kuch by just 6 and McKinnon by just 16.

I think it kinda devalues it.

Hitting 100 assists while also scoring 40+ goals is another thing though. Jumbo didn't score 30 goals on either of those seasons, didn't even hit 30 goals as a Shark period. He was as much of a pass-first guy as you see.

You can't get an assist on a goal you score yourself.

 

[Sentinel]

But how did Kucherov did in the Skills Competition?

 

[WalterLundy]

Will be the best Russian player of all time.

As a point producer at his peak he already has it. Not sure he will pass Malkin and Ovi in general but this season is the best among them.

 

[Coffey]

As a point producer at his peak he already has it. Not sure he will pass Malkin and Ovi in general but this season is the best among them.

Oh yea, those guys exist.
That would be an interesting poll to make.

And I better not see people trying to put in Datsyuk or Bure into that list.