If Nathan MacKinnon scores 30-35 points in playoffs...

[Angry Hockey Dad]

Mackinnon is built for playoff hockey. Hope Colorado goes deep so we get to watch him go on a tear

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Mackinnon is the far superior individual player in playoffs. Mcdavid is the far superior individual player in the regular season. Has nothing to do with team success, their individual production shows this. The question is whether regular season Mcdavid or playoff Mackinnon is better and I think it’s Mcdavid.

 

[Pia8988]

MacKinnon. If there is one player you don't want to see on the other side of the ice in the playoffs, it's MacKinnon, not McDavid.

 

[elmaco]

Rather take playoff performer mackinnon than choker mcdavid, regular season doesnt matter.

 

[Krewe]

I'd like to hear the argument either (Kucherov or MacKinnon) is not on track for HHOF....

I imagine he will get the hardware to eventually get in, but MacK really doesn’t have the resume for it at this point. 2 times 2AST isn’t really HHOF. Meanwhile all Kuch has to do is have a normal end to his career and he’s in

i expect him to win a hart or Smythe eventually though and that’s all he wills need

 

[Nemesis Prime]

MacKinnon quickly becoming most overrated.

 

[seancolorado]

MacKinnon may be a better playoff performer at the moment but McDavid would have to consistently underperform big time in the postseason for MacK to ever surpass him as #1 player in the league

I don't think that will happen because next year's Pacific division is likely to be very weak, and this is the offseason where Holland could really make his stamp on shaping this team and provide smarter depth

For McDavid's age, what he is going through with the Oilers isn't that out of the ordinary. Call me in 3 years if we are still having this discussion though

 

[dalewood12]

I’d still put McDavid ahead of MacKinnon, but by a smaller margin.

 

[Regal]

I imagine he will get the hardware to eventually get in, but MacK really doesn’t have the resume for it at this point. 2 times 2AST isn’t really HHOF. Meanwhile all Kuch has to do is have a normal end to his career and he’s in

i expect him to win a hart or Smythe eventually though and that’s all he wills need

2 time Hart runner up is though. Lots of players in without major awards. He'd have to continue at this level for a bit though and have a solid aging curve

 

[Thenameless]

No, I would still rank McDavid number 1. But, I rank MacKinnon number 1 for the playoffs. It really is apples and oranges with these two.

 

[jcs0218]

I imagine he will get the hardware to eventually get in, but MacK really doesn’t have the resume for it at this point. 2 times 2AST isn’t really HHOF. Meanwhile all Kuch has to do is have a normal end to his career and he’s in

i expect him to win a hart or Smythe eventually though and that’s all he wills need

There are a ton of players in the Hall of Fame without individual hardware.

What hardware do players like Sundin or Savard have? Just to name two examples.

MacKinnon is ranked higher now than those two players ever were. Those two players were never in the discussion for best player in the league.

 

[Wrath]

I imagine he will get the hardware to eventually get in, but MacK really doesn’t have the resume for it at this point. 2 times 2AST isn’t really HHOF. Meanwhile all Kuch has to do is have a normal end to his career and he’s in

i expect him to win a hart or Smythe eventually though and that’s all he wills need

Sure, I think we only differ on terminology since you said "tracking" to make HHOF, which suggests some level of future projection to me.

So yeah, if you were to say if they retired today would Kuch make it and Mackinnon not? Yeah I might agree with that.

Both are easily, in my opinion, "on track" to make it though. Look at the players who burned bright but not for long in the HHOF (Lindros, Kariya, Bure, etc.), look at their Hart voting, Top 10 points finishes, AST (keep in mind center AST is usually a lot harder to get than winger AST), etc.. and Mackinnon (and Kucherov even more so ofc) is tracking very well against those folks.

 

[Mez]

One guy plays on a powerhouse cup contender, one plays on bubble team (Wouldn't be a playoff team without McDavid). Playoffs are more a team game than the regular season, McDavid can carry his team through the regular season, but no one player can carry a team to a cup. Put McDavid on the Avs and see what he does in the playoffs. Put Mack on the Oiler and see what he does in the playoffs. Its impossible to know unless both team are at a similar level. Time will tell...maybe. But yes Mack's playoff record is impressive (Minus elimination games)

 

[daver]

One guy plays on a powerhouse cup contender, one plays on bubble team (Wouldn't be a playoff team without McDavid). Playoffs are more a team game than the regular season, McDavid can carry his team through the regular season, but no one player can carry a team to a cup. Put McDavid on the Avs and see what he does in the playoffs. Put Mack on the Oiler and see what he does in the playoffs. Its impossible to know unless both team are at a similar level. Time will tell...maybe. But yes Mack's playoff record is impressive (Minus elimination games)

Are the Avs a Cup contender without Mac? Mac raised them to that level without a doubt the year before if you want to simply look at point totals of teammates.

 

[psycat]

I'd like to hear the argument either (Kucherov or MacKinnon) is not on track for HHOF....

MacKinnon got zero hardware, no cup(s) and "low" career numbers(below ppg in fact), so there's an argument I mean not sure I agree with it but you can for sure make a case that he is not on track.

 

[Wrath]

MacKinnon got zero hardware, no cup(s) and "low" career numbers(below ppg in fact), so there's an argument I mean not sure I agree with it but you can for sure make a case that he is not on track.

Yeah you can say if he retired today he's not in. If you assume he will play at close to this level for a few more years (i.e. has an "on track" career and decline), he's almost assuredly in.

The standards for the HHOF really aren't that high when you look at it. His Hart and AST voting records already surpass at least a third of the forwards in right now. Even if you exclude the compilers (Dino Ciccarelli, Gartner, etc.) the players who, again, burned bright but burned out fast like Lindros, Kariya, Bure, really didn't accomplish much if anything more than MacKinnon at this point in their careers (i.e. around age 26 season).

Maybe I just have a low bar for "on track" to be fair. I'd also say Auston Matthews is "on track" for the HHOF despite having done even less, same with Jack Eichel. Well, maybe my bar is low, or maybe the HHOF voters bar is low, hard to say....

I mean, if people wanna start going to the HoH board on this site and inquire about MacKinnon's case for HHOF, I'm pretty sure most there would also say he's on track.

 

[Krewe]

Sure, I think we only differ on terminology since you said "tracking" to make HHOF, which suggests some level of future projection to me.

So yeah, if you were to say if they retired today would Kuch make it and Mackinnon not? Yeah I might agree with that.

Both are easily, in my opinion, "on track" to make it though. Look at the players who burned bright but not for long in the HHOF (Lindros, Kariya, Bure, etc.), look at their Hart voting, Top 10 points finishes, AST (keep in mind center AST is usually a lot harder to get than winger AST), etc.. and Mackinnon (and Kucherov even more so ofc) is tracking very well against those folks.

You’ve convinced me. My original post was mostly just to snap at a troll. I think MacK is amazing and will definitely earn hardware at some point

 

[Mickey Marner]

MacKinnon has been the best player in the league.

 

[JoemAvs]

You’ve convinced me. My original post was mostly just to snap at a troll. I think MacK is amazing and will definitely earn hardware at some point

How dare you?

MacKinnon already has the hardware. Why do you have to disrespect the good Lady Byng like that ?




Which he only got because the voters felt bad for screwing up by not giving him the Hart instead of Hall a year earlier. Mac arguably should have a Hart already so I am not sure how valid it is to criticize him for not winning any hardware...

 

[psycat]

MacKinnon may be a better playoff performer at the moment but McDavid would have to consistently underperform big time in the postseason for MacK to ever surpass him as #1 player in the league

I don't think that will happen because next year's Pacific division is likely to be very weak, and this is the offseason where Holland could really make his stamp on shaping this team and provide smarter depth

For McDavid's age, what he is going through with the Oilers isn't that out of the ordinary. Call me in 3 years if we are still having this discussion though

I mean McDavid does regulary underperform in the post season, especially if you discount a playin series(that shouldn't be included anyway).