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

[AvsFan29]

And?

And what's your point? You said they won't finish with 14 percent shooting. They easily could. I don't know what your point is.

 

[The Macho King]

And what's your point? You said they won't finish with 14 percent shooting. They easily could. I don't know what your point is.

On-ice shooting percentage isn't individual shooting percentage. It's the % that everyone on the ice shoots while they are on the ice. So I don't doubt that 13-16% is possible for those two - numerous players hit those marks every season. But the entire team while they're on the ice? No, it won't hold up.

 

[AvsFan29]

This is ridiculous and will be ridiculous by the end of the year when mcdavid passes everyone by.

Do you know how many times in the last two years in these months people said stamkos and Kucherov were better and everyone who is in front right now, it’s ridiculous

Both those guys aren’t better then mcdavid, because both has another guy “better then mcdavid” to play with.

How much better would mcdavid he if he had a player bettenthe him to play with?

That’s why Mackinnon and rantanen are not both playing better.

Yah he very well could, but last year was much different than this year.

At this time last year:

MacKinnon had 28PTS (43 this year)
Rantanen had 20 points (45 this year)

McDavid had 31 points and was 6 behind the leader (stamkos 37pts)

Last season stamkos fell off the map, and players like MacKinnon were trying to catch up with McDavid. This season Mack has an 8 point lead, and Rantanen has a 10 point lead.

McDavid being the favourite for the Art Ross may not be as clear cut as some people believe.

Kucherov is 7 points ahead and is on fire.

Over the last month, the top 3 in points actually widened their gap above McDavid. He's not gaining ground right now.

Obviously injuries could happen, or teams could fall apart, but Tampa and Colorado are playing great hockey, and they aren't winning with luck. They are both great teams.

It's going to be an interesting race for sure.

 

[AvsFan29]

On-ice shooting percentage isn't individual shooting percentage. It's the % that everyone on the ice shoots while they are on the ice. So I don't doubt that 13-16% is possible for those two - numerous players hit those marks every season. But the entire team while they're on the ice? No, it won't hold up.

Oh ok, yah I haven't followed that stat. It may not hold up, but if Rantanen and MacKinnon were to significantly regress, down to say 1.0ppg (down from 1.7 /1.6) they will still hit 100 points.

It's more likely that 3 or 4 players will be in the race for the Art Ross, and it won't just be McDavid running away with it late.

 

[AvsFan29]

Because of the 10 point gap between Rants and McDavid, Mcdavid would need to put up points at 1.44ppg and Rantanen would have to be on a pace LESS than 1.2 for the rest of the season.

If Rantanen keeps a pace higher than 1.2, McDavid would have to have an even higher pace in order to pass Rantanen.

For instance, if Rantanen has a 1.3 pace for the rest of the year, McDavid would have to be in a 1.5+ ppg pace in order to pass Rantanen. McDavids career pace is 1.23

 

[24 others]

Rantanen would have to be on a pace LESS than 1.2 for the rest of the season.

Check out how many players were MORE than 1.2 last season. Things even out in a long season.

But to anwer the OP question:

 

[AvsFan29]

Check out how many players were MORE than 1.2 last season. Things even out in a long season.

But to anwer the OP question:

Kuch has been nuts the last 10 games. Same with Point. They are putting up mack/rants numbers

 

[Jarey Curry]

Not even close, I'd take 20-30 other players before him.

Fair enough, though Rantanen is one of the youngest if not the youngest player compared to your list of players.

 

[AvsFan29]

Fair enough, though Rantanen is one of the youngest if not the youngest player compared to your list of players.

He's just trying to stir shit up. To say there's 30 players ahead of Rantanen, who has 45 points in 27 games, and only trails Lemieux, Gretzky, Jagr etc for the most points at this point in the season since 1992, is ridiculous. Lol

 

[REALTALK81]

Marner is great, and so is point, but if kuch, rants, and Mack aren't better than McDavid, they certainly aren't.

Thats my point. I added Point and Marner to the list because they are currently outscoring McDavid. Doesn't mean they are currently better than him. McDavid is the best player in the world. People having a better quarter than him doesn't negate his previous 100 point seasons and out of all of those guys, 1 plays with less talent around him. Take a wild stab who that is.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

I am not even huge fan of McDavid. I like Rantanen way more, but that might be because I am from Finland. I am just being realistic here. MacKinnon and Rantanen are making so many points because they are syncing so well.

When it comes to individual skill, McDavid is still better. Rants and MacKinnon are both elite players and they are currently scoring more points than McDavid, but I still don't rank them better than him.

McDavid is the best player in the league, but I wouldn't be surprised if he is outscored this season by MacK or Rantanen.

 

[Bank Shot]

For instance, if Rantanen has a 1.3 pace for the rest of the year, McDavid would have to be in a 1.5+ ppg pace in order to pass Rantanen. McDavids career pace is 1.23

What in the world makes you think Rantanen will pace 1.3 for the rest of the season?

I'll guarantee it won't happen.

 

[AvsFan29]

What in the world makes you think Rantanen will pace 1.3 for the rest of the season?

I'll guarantee it won't happen.

I just used it as an example to show that McDavid needs to play at a significantly higher rate.

 

[SniperOnTheWing]

McDavid being the best player in the world doesn't mean he's entitled to win the Art Ross every single year. There will be years when other guys just have better seasons and finish ahead of him. Maybe this will be one of those years and maybe it won't be, but right now it looks like he's got his work cut out for him especially with Hitchcock doing his best to tighten up the Oilers and perhaps stifle some of the offense in the process.

Crosby wasn't winning every Art Ross in his heyday and neither will McDavid. Its not the end of the world and nobody is questioning how amazing he is.

 

[Tostito Rangers]

What in the world makes you think Rantanen will pace 1.3 for the rest of the season?

I'll guarantee it won't happen.

Last year, Rantanen went 1.13 from December to end of season (1.19 after new years), Mac went 1.39, and four other players went above 1.3 (Malkin, McD, Giroux, Hall - after new year all of these went above 1.4). It's not outlandish...

 

[Kiekura]

McDavid is the best player in the league, but I wouldn't be surprised if he is outscored this season by MacK or Rantanen.

That can happen for sure. McDavid being best player doesn't mean he is 100% sure winner for Art Ross

 

[AvsGuy]

Remember when Jamie Benn won the Art Ross with 87 points a few seasons ago lol

I was really hoping at that point MacKinnon/Rantanen would turn into Seguin/Benn. I had no idea they’d be this much better.

I do still think McDavid is the best player in the league though, which is perfectly fine. Rantanen has brought himself into the conversation with his play so far.

 

[ovythegiraffe]

You can never count out McDavid, but things aren't looking too great for him at this point in terms of being a sure winner. Hitchcock's trying to make the team tighter defensivly, he's missing a game or two now because of illness and he's 10 points behind already. While MacKinnon, Rantanen and Landeskog form maybe the most complete line in hockey right now and barring injuries I don't see why their production would significantly drop. Even if f.ex. Rantanen has an off night, he can still easily get a secondary assist or two, but if McDavid has one, his chances for points is much slimmer.

 

[daver]

You can never count out McDavid, but things aren't looking too great for him at this point in terms of being a sure winner. Hitchcock's trying to make the team tighter defensivly, he's missing a game or two now because of illness and he's 10 points behind already. While MacKinnon, Rantanen and Landeskog form maybe the most complete line in hockey right now and barring injuries I don't see why their production would significantly drop. Even if f.ex. Rantanen has an off night, he can still easily get a secondary assist or two, but if McDavid has one, his chances for points is much slimmer.

This sounds like an excuse to me. The AVs and Bolts have better GAAs than Edmonton so you could say the players ahead of McDavid are succeeding despite playing for tighter defensive teams themselves.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

On-ice shooting percentage isn't individual shooting percentage. It's the % that everyone on the ice shoots while they are on the ice. So I don't doubt that 13-16% is possible for those two - numerous players hit those marks every season. But the entire team while they're on the ice? No, it won't hold up.

Its not the entire team though. Mack and Rantanen take more than their fair share of those shots, landeskog not so bad either. They also play with a great offensive D in barrie and Cole rarely shoots.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

The top line in Colorado is playing lights out right now. It's amazing to watch. It's not a matter of if they will score on a nightly basis it's a matter of when. They keep me on the edge of my seat whenever they are on the ice together. Point is, do people really think this is sustainable over 82 games? Rantanen at 1.67 PPG MacKinnon at 1.59 PPG and Landeskog at 1.11 PPG? I personally don't think it is.

Either way, I love Rantanen's game and think he is one of the top young talents in the NHL. However, I don't even think he is the best player on his own line never mind in the league.

 

[GlitchMarner]

I want to hear what @DominicBoltsFan thinks about whether Rantanen is the best player in the NHL.

 

[tucker3434]

On-ice shooting percentage isn't individual shooting percentage. It's the % that everyone on the ice shoots while they are on the ice. So I don't doubt that 13-16% is possible for those two - numerous players hit those marks every season. But the entire team while they're on the ice? No, it won't hold up.

Yes, but they don’t have to give those points back. And just because they started hot doesn’t mean they’ll have a correction to get them back to their typical average at years end. It’s more likely finish out the rest of their games at their average and have an above average year overall.

130 isn’t happening. 110 is probably a fair spot to set the over/under. Thats a 1.2+ ppg pace the rest of the way, a little north of Rantanen’s pace last year, but a little south of MacKinnon’s. I’d bet one hits it. Mack would have been right there last year if he’d just played 82 games.

 

[cgf]

On-ice shooting percentage isn't individual shooting percentage. It's the % that everyone on the ice shoots while they are on the ice. So I don't doubt that 13-16% is possible for those two - numerous players hit those marks every season. But the entire team while they're on the ice? No, it won't hold up.

Out of curiousity, what was their OISH% last year? Because I’d expect them to better that # as the chances they are crafting are even more dangerous than those they created last season.

It’s scary to think that both MacK n Mikko only started clicking recently, as MacK required ~20 games to adjust to Mikko’s break through this season.

 

[AvsFan29]

This sounds like an excuse to me. The AVs and Bolts have better GAAs than Edmonton so you could say the players ahead of McDavid are succeeding despite playing for tighter defensive teams themselves.

Tampa and Colorado rely more on offence than defence. It's hard to score when their top lines have you running around in your own zone for 20 minutes a night.

Add decent puck moving D, and vasilevskiy / varlamov, and you win a lot of games.