Is MacKinnon A Top Ten Player?

[GlitchMarner]

A lot of people seem to be putting him on top five or top ten lists. He was incredible last season, but it's the first truly elite season he has had.

Giroux has more elite seasons than MacKinnon and he outscored him even last season. What is the rationale for putting him in the top five or ten and not also considering Hall and Giroux to be top five or top ten players? That Giroux is older and less likely to replicate his performance from last season? Hall beat MacK for the Hart last season and was as good or better in each of the previous four seasons.

Is it too soon to call MacK a top five or top ten player in the NHL?

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[Echo Roku]

"Too soon" means very little. He is currently in that range, and if that changes next season, then it changes next season.

For whether its sustainable play. Just watching him regularly, I don't really see a reason he would regress significantly if at all. I've heard that sentiment somewhat regularly from those who do actually watch him play. Even before this year it always felt like he just needs to take one more big step to put things together and really take off, and that's what it seems like happened.

 

[TOGuy14]

A lot of people seem to be putting him on top five or top ten lists. He was incredible last season, but it's the first truly elite season he has had.

Giroux has more elite seasons than MacKinnon and he outscored him even last season. What is the rationale for putting him in the top five or ten and not also considering Hall and Giroux to be top five or top ten players? That Giroux is older and less likely to replicate his performance from last season? Hall beat MacK for the Hart last season and was as good or better in each of the previous four seasons.

Is it too soon to call MacK a top five or top ten player in the NHL?

He was definitely a top 3-5 player last season but that is the only time in his career he has done that.

Until we see a repeat I would say he is a top 20-30 player with potential to become a recurring top 10 if he shows consistency moving forward.

 

[Sasso09]

Giroux is better than MacKinnon at both ends.

Perfect storm of McKinnon breaking out and Giroux being the most underrated hockey player of this decade

 

[Koivu11]

He needs to prove he can play at that level for more than one season to be a top 10 player in the league. Same goes for Taylor Hall.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

A lot of people seem to be putting him on top five or top ten lists. He was incredible last season, but it's the first truly elite season he has had.

Giroux has more elite seasons than MacKinnon and he outscored him even last season. What is the rationale for putting him in the top five or ten and not also considering Hall and Giroux to be top five or top ten players? That Giroux is older and less likely to replicate his performance from last season? Hall beat MacK for the Hart last season and was as good or better in each of the previous four seasons.

Is it too soon to call MacK a top five or top ten player in the NHL?

Absolutely no trouble to call Matthews a Top 10 player though right?

 

[LeafsNation75]

Absolutely no trouble to call Matthews a Top 10 player though right?

Prior to last season Matthews had scored more total goals and points in his rookie season than McKinnon did in his rookie season.

 

[rent free]

he's a top-10 candidate for a regression

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Prior to last season Matthews had scored more total goals and points in his rookie season than McKinnon did in his rookie season.

Thats great.

 

[tucker3434]

If MacKinnon hadn’t missed 8 games last year, he would’ve finished 2nd in scoring and run away with the Hart. So that’s probably a big reason.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Ask yourself this. Are there 10 players in the National hockey Legue you'd take over Nate MacKinnon heading into next season?

I'd say probably not. At worst he's a fringe top-10 guy

 

[Drew4u]

Giroux is better than MacKinnon at both ends.

Perfect storm of McKinnon breaking out and Giroux being the most underrated hockey player of this decade

Giroux has accomplished nothing in the previous 3 seasons other than being a pp specialist. It's way more likely he regresses than Mack does.

 

[GodEmperor]

He is definitely in the vicinity, if he puts up 90+ this year, he will definitely be there.

If he puts up something like 70-80, probably out of top 10 in the 10-20 range.

 

[GlitchMarner]

Absolutely no trouble to call Matthews a Top 10 player though right?

When and where in the hell have I said Matthews is a top ten player?

 

[LeafsNation75]

Thats great.

I also forgot to add that last season Matthews 34 goals despite missing 20 games was still more goals than MacKinnon had in his 2nd, 3rd & 4th seasons. So don't mention Matthews name being compared to MacKinnon because the stats show other wise.

 

[tucker3434]

I also forgot to add that last season Matthews 34 goals despite missing 20 games was still more goals than MacKinnon had in his 2nd, 3rd & 4th seasons. So don't mention Matthews name being compared to MacKinnon because the stats show other wise.

Lulz. Can’t compare a guy that had 97 with a guy that’s never broken 70.

 

[GlitchMarner]

If MacKinnon hadn’t missed 8 games last year, he would’ve finished 2nd in scoring and run away with the Hart. So that’s probably a big reason.

Hall missed six games himself and had worse offensive support.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Lulz. Can’t compare a guy that had 97 with a guy that’s never broken 70.

I was talking about Matthews goal totals being more in his first 2 seasons compared to MacKinnon's first 4 seasons.

 

[tucker3434]

Hall missed six games himself and had worse offensive support.

Mack had more points in less games and was playing in the team that was pretty much the consensus pick for last place to start the season. Hall was on fire to end the year which put him over the top with voters, but if Mack had played a few more games and widened the actual point gap out a bit, he gets the Hart.

I was talking about Matthews goal totals being more in his first 2 seasons compared to MacKinnon's first 4 seasons.

I don’t think there’s any debate that Matthews is the better goal scorer and MacKinnon is the better playmaker. So comparing just goals is just as disingenuous as if we tried to bring up only assists.

 

[Spilot23]

I was talking about Matthews goal totals being more in his first 2 seasons compared to MacKinnon's first 4 seasons.

Good for Matthews but IMO until Matthews does what Mack did I will consider Matthews below Mack for now***. Here is a question, why everytime I see a player X compared to Matthews it always has to be goals ? It's like total points, assist didn't matter at all. I think Matthews gets over 80 next year if he's injury free though so I have no hate towards Leafs, I'm saying that before being attacked and labeled as a Leafs hater.

I don't want to derail the thread into a Leafs/Matthews thread so if we're back to the thread. I think it's a bit premature to call Mackinnon a top 10 player, he has to repeat or be PPG at least before being considered a top 10 player. I really believe he can do it again that's why I don't really that much if some doesn't have him in their top 10. I just do believe that he is able to get in that top 10 or even top 5 soon. Going into the season, I think he can be considered as a top 10 player after what he did last season. He just have to pick up where he left off.

 

[Robert Kentwood]

As much as I love Mac, he needs more than one season to be considered a top 10 player. His career high before last season was 63 points, and that was 4/5 years ago.

 

[Nsjohnson]

I think if he has another top 10 season this year I am willing to call him a top 10 player. He's close.

 

[Sojourn]

I think if he has another top 10 season this year I am willing to call him a top 10 player. He's close.

This sums up my feelings as well. He was definitely one of the top 10 best players last season, but I think to outright call him a top 10 player he needs to show that he can maintain it.

And since Matthews was brought up, he doesn't fit there either, especially since he hasn't had a single season where he was a top 10 player.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I don’t think there’s any debate that Matthews is the better goal scorer and MacKinnon is the better playmaker. So comparing just goals is just as disingenuous as if we tried to bring up only assists.

Yet it's the assists which others consistently use to bash Matthews, where as it's a fact that until last season Matthews had a better first 2 seasons compared to MacKinnon's first 4 seasons.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Good for Matthews but IMO until Matthews does what Mack did I will consider Matthews below Mack for now***. Here is a question, why everytime I see a player X compared to Matthews it always has to be goals ? It's like total points, assist didn't matter at all. I think Matthews gets over 80 next year if he's injury free though so I have no hate towards Leafs, I'm saying that before being attacked and labeled as a Leafs hater.

I don't want to derail the thread into a Leafs/Matthews thread so if we're back to the thread. I think it's a bit premature to call Mackinnon a top 10 player, he has to repeat or be PPG at least before being considered a top 10 player. I really believe he can do it again that's why I don't really that much if some doesn't have him in their top 10. I just do believe that he is able to get in that top 10 or even top 5 soon. Going into the season, I think he can be considered as a top 10 player after what he did last season. He just have to pick up where he left off.

In the end it's goals scored that win games. I know there are also assists that add up to a players total points. However if a goal is never scored than those players can not get assists. That's why others mention Matthews goal scoring ability.