That's why I quoted the post I did... to refute that Kucherov's regular season peak is somehow more impressive. If you can't honestly objectively look at McDavid season last year and say it was more impressive than Kucherov's 128 I don't know what to tell you. McDavid would have had to score at a 50 point pace in the last 26 to not achieve 128 had he been afforded the games. I think we can adjust and make calculated guesses on what a full season would look like considering McDavid has given us a regular season sample size as large and productive as he has to date.
When we had a 28 game sample size of Kucherov's playoffs was it really all that impressive? 23 points in 28 games is nice, sure but hardly special. Right now he looks all-world, but up until 2018-19 he was nothing special really. Even at that point, he had a decent sample size and was 61 points in 65 games, not close to MacKinnon levels at the same games played mark. To take you back to a time when Bolts fans were slightly more humble, in 2018-19 Kucherov was coming off his Hart/Art Ross season, and was on a juggernaut, 62-20 President's Trophy team that got swept at the hands of Columbus. Now, I fully blame McDavid and Draisaitl for the sweep this year, but it doesn't compare to the level of disappointment Kucherov and his mates were at following the 2019 playoffs. But the past 2 years has been redemption for them. Maybe McDavid and Draisaitl can do like Kucherov and wipe the egg off their faces after an unexpected playoff sweep and come back stronger. I don't care one way or another if they do, but I wouldn't bet against it. I mean, 22 points in 21 isn't bad for McDavid, an apparent playoff no show. Him playing below the level we know he's capable of still puts his early playoff sample size ahead of Kucherov's early sample size. Give it time, McDavid's 24, he might still be a playoff guy, we know he laps the field in the regular season.
I say all of this as a fan of neither guy, though I'd actually probably lean toward liking Kucherov a little better and I agree with the thread title that Kucherov is clear-cut #2.