If Lemieux Started his Career in today's league?

[Luigi Lemieux]

I think he would be around 160 pts a season. He did play at a 144 point pace after 4 years retirement at age 35 back in 2000-01 in the middle of the dead puck era, which in retrospect is even more amazing than it was at the time. However, the average player and the bottom level players are much better now than even 10 years ago. The new NHL favors Lemieux in every way though, so it would definitely be a sight to behold.

 

[El Dandy*]

He'd **** **** up.

EDIT: He'd wreck things. He'd be unstoppable and there wouldn't be a thing anyone could do about it.

 

[Dangler99*]

He'd **** **** up.

EDIT: He'd wreck things. He'd be unstoppable and there wouldn't be a thing anyone could do about it.

160 points consistently.

 

[KingGallagherXI]

it's not like the changes in the game could help him stay healthy.

Really? Dirty play, on purpose slashes with wooden sticks, clutching and grabbing wasn't a factor? Most of his injury problems came from an herniated disc which happened during the 89-90 season. He got surgery the following summer and caught an infection from the surgery, almost ending his career right there. With better medicine and luck and with less dirt and grabbing, it's almost certain that Lemieux would've been more healthy for his entire career (except for cancer).

Other injuries included a slash to the neck and a vicious slash to the hand resulting in a broken hand. Can't say that's being injury prone. There is less of that kind of ******** nowadays.

 

[Big Phil]

He would rip this league a new one.

Every change the game has gone through since his prime, big and small, has been in favor of his style.

No red line, no more obstruction, no more clutching and grabbing, the game favors the highly skilled more than ever before. He'd be the most unstoppable player we have ever seen.

Exactly. It wouldn't be that much different than the 1980s or especially 1990s Lemieux that we saw. The guy was theoretically the perfect physical specimen when it came to hockey. He'd be the best player in the NHL right now. Better than Crosby, better than Stamkos, better than Ovechkin. No doubt in my mind. Anyone that disagrees simply did not watch Mario play.

The guy won a scoring title playing in as little as 60, 64 and 70 games.

Put it this way. Crosby has missed 10-11 games this year and he is still just 2-3 points out of the top of the scoring race. If Sid is doing this and still competing for the top missing time, then Mario would surely do it.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

He'd get injured and wouldn't be as good as some people make him out to be by projecting things he never did.

 

[Gary Roberts]

People forget that a lot of the injury problems that Mario had later in his career were due to a botched back surgery. It's hard to stay healthy when your body is deteriorating due to an infection from a botched surgery. So yeah, I'm going to assume that 20 years of medical advances would probably help Mario avoid the career shortening back problems.

 

[Passchendaele]

He'd start out with seasons of 90-115 points. Then would reach around 150-160.