Is Mikko Rantanen the best player in NHL at the moment?

[cgf]

Crosby
MacKinnon
McDavid
Malkin
Kucherov
Matthews
Tavares
Bergeron
Hedman
Doughty
Ovechkin
Giroux
Backstrom
Schiefele
Marchand
Seguin
Benn
Hall
Subban
Karlsson

There’s a difference between being the best player in the league and being on the best line in the league

The best player on the best line in the league isn't the worst place to start looking for the best player in the league when he's also leading the scoring the race...at least if you wanted to start someplace other than McDavid before looping to him; as he's clearly the best player in the league.

I think it's funny that it seems to me that the majority of Avs fans on this board have claimed that Rantanen has been better than MacKinnon this season, yet fans of other teams make claims that he "hasn't even been the best player on his line". Avs fans should know better, right?

Not saying that Rantanen is the better player tho. Awesome player regardless.

Nah. Just because we watch more of them doesn't mean we actually know as much about them as Toronto fans do.

 

[tucker3434]

Clearly not, but this 20-30 stuff is nonsense.

 

[LarKing]

He’ll probably finish around 90 points like Kucherov last year. Good for around 15th or so best player.

 

[Ncit3]

He’ll probably finish around 90 points like Kucherov last year. Good for around 15th or so best player.

And if he ends up around 110?

 

[LarKing]

And if he ends up around 110?

Then we have to have a serious conversation about him being a top 5 player or so. Generally only the super elite guys like McDavid, Crosby, Malkin, etc. actually finish with that kind of season though.

 

[elmaco]

Salty fans are salty, Rantanen easily top 10.

 

[Freudian]

He's not the best player in the league. Come on now.

He's pretty good though and you have to respect his buns of steel.

 

[Andon]

Clearly not, but this 20-30 stuff is nonsense.

I liked the list that had 3 other Finnish players ahead of him, sounds good for the Finnish national team
(well, if there were proper tournaments with NHL players)

 

[jonlin]

Rantanen clearly is a Top10 player in the league right now. He is the motor on Avs Top line. Landy does the heavy lifting and dirty work, Rantanen is the playmaker who the play goes through and MacK is the speedy finnisher. They are all great players who benefits of eachothers strenghts. Their chemistry is also great. I Still think Rantanen would do very well without thoose two.

 

[gtrower]

no

 

[TruePowerSlave]

He’ll probably finish around 90 points like Kucherov last year. Good for around 15th or so best player.

Rants would have to go below PPG the rest of the way to "only" reach 90 points. Not happening.

 

[Syckle78]

To be considered truly elite you gotta have a whole truly elite season. It's impossible to rank him when he's producing at such a crazy pace without seeing how it plays out.

 

[East Coast Icestyle]

Rants would have to go below PPG the rest of the way to "only" reach 90 points. Not happening.

Slumps happen. He's 22.

 

[Avelanche]

McDavid
Crosby
Kucherov
Malkin
MacKinnon
Ovechkin
Giroux
Point
Bergeron
Laine
Pastrnak
Scheifele
Aho
Eichel
Kane
Hall
Panarin
Marchand
Kuznetsov
Seguin
Benn
Barkov

~20 just from the top of my head, not including dmen, Stamkos had just as hot of a start last year and finished with less than 90 points, 20 games mean nothing.

some of those are absolutely crazy. people dont buy rantanen after 100 games but there's point just on a top 20 forwards list.

 

[tucker3434]

To be considered truly elite you gotta have a whole truly elite season. It's impossible to rank him when he's producing at such a crazy pace without seeing how it plays out.

He had 84 last year. It’s not like this is totally out of nowhere.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

Slumps happen. He's 22.

120 points in the last 103 games. But slumps happen.

130 in the last 96 for MacK. To be fair, I think you're asking both of them to be slumping for their paces to fall off. Any given game one of them can do the heavy lifting.

 

[Avelanche]

Crosby
MacKinnon
McDavid
Malkin
Kucherov
Matthews
Tavares
Bergeron
Hedman
Doughty
Ovechkin
Giroux
Backstrom
Schiefele
Marchand
Seguin
Benn
Hall
Subban
Karlsson

There’s a difference between being the best player in the league and being on the best line in the league

why do people keep putting seguin, he's cracked 80 points as many times as rantanen. he plays with radulov and benn.

 

[Andon]

Slumps happen. He's 22.

Basically it would have to be a "slump" where the Avs top line stops producing. Or he gets switched to a different line, can't see that happening either.
Of course, no one is immune to injury so nothing is for granted.

 

[TMLeafs17]

If he was doing this with scrubs on his line he’d have an argument, but right now, no.

 

[sadpanda]

Like how Pastrnak has been the best on his line right?

Two different players. What are you talking about? Take a hike

 

[cgf]

If he was doing this with scrubs on his line he’d have an argument, but right now, no.

If he was doing this with scrubs he would be hands down the best player in the NHL. Even McJesus plays with RNH or Drae.

 

[koyvoo]

Ya, hit the road pal

 

[TruePowerSlave]

why do people keep putting seguin, he's cracked 80 points as many times as rantanen. he plays with radulov and benn.

People are just having a hard time accepting that Rantanen is as good as he is.

 

[Ararana]

Mikko Rantanen is no longer the most underrated player in the league.

And no I’d say MacKinnon is still better. Obviously McDavid is going to maintain that crown most of his career but I’m sorry he’s not doing it right now. Not his fault he was drafted by the wrong team.

 

[TMLeafs17]

I think Finnish fans would tell you Rantanen > Laine now.