Is Nate Mackinnon a top 3 C in the league?

[Snippit]

Are you comfortable in saying Mack is a top 3 C in the NHL?

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[Bizz]

Well he's the 4th best player in the NHL and the 2nd best is a winger (Ovechkin). So yes.

 

[Fugazy]

Yup, he’s definitely in that category now.

 

[Muffin]

Well he's the 4th best player in the NHL and the 2nd best is a winger (Ovechkin). So yes.

Ovechkin is not the second best player in the league in 2019.

 

[Mighty Makar]

Absolutely.

 

[Midnight Judges]

More like top 2. So yes.

 

[PuckInTheNards]

I would take MacKinnon with his contract over any other player in the league. He's not quite as good as McDavid but is a much better value.

 

[Bizz]

Ovechkin is not the second best player in the league in 2019.

He's arguably #1.

 

[wasup]

He's arguably #1.

omg

 

[ccman68]

Well he's the 4th best player in the NHL and the 2nd best is a winger (Ovechkin). So yes.

So you have Ovechkin above a guy who outscored him by 40 points? Would like to see how you justify that.

 

[JFG]

Yes. Who else?

 

[Meeqs]

I don't really see how he wouldn't be. There is even a pretty decent argument for top 2.

 

[Meeqs]

He's arguably #1.

I think the ONLY way you could make that argument is if it was on the grounds of Cap hit efficiency, which in that case I would agree with. Otherwise its pretty silly.

 

[Midnight Judges]

So you have Ovechkin above a guy who outscored him by 40 points? Would like to see how you justify that.

Playoffs, physicality, goals.

 

[doorbag]

Well he's the 4th best player in the NHL and the 2nd best is a winger (Ovechkin). So yes.

Out of curiosity who are the current top five players in your view? As in, the five best NHL players in the world going into next season.

In regards to the poll I would say he is absolutely a top three center.

 

[ccman68]

Playoffs, physicality, goals.

He does score a few more goals but not enough to make up the gap. Physicality isn’t really a positive or negative thing either. And Ovechkin is one of the biggest playoff chokers in the history of the game so that doesn’t really help his case either.

 

[bert]

I would take MacKinnon with his contract over any other player in the league. He's not quite as good as McDavid but is a much better value.

Might be a better playoff style player with his power game. In all honesty you cant go wrong with either.

 

[Nihiliste]

Other than McDavid and Crosby, who could be considered ahead of him right now? Drai doesn't score as much if he plays center full time. Barkov is close, especially when you account for his 2 way game.

 

[Emerz]

Other than McDavid and Crosby, who could be considered ahead of him right now? Drai doesn't score as much if he plays center full time. Barkov is close, especially when you account for his 2 way game.

Bergeron perhaps? He was on pace for 100+ points this season while playing his usual top notch defensive game.

I'd have no problem with MacKinnon at 3 though. 4 & 5 are Bergeron and Barkov in my opinion.

 

[PuckInTheNards]

Other than McDavid and Crosby, who could be considered ahead of him right now? Drai doesn't score as much if he plays center full time. Barkov is close, especially when you account for his 2 way game.

Honest question: would you rather have Crosby or McKinnon centering your top line next year? I go with McKinnon.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

No. Crosby, McDavid and Barkov are arguably better.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Bergeron perhaps? He was on pace for 100+ points this season while playing his usual top notch defensive game.

Eh, he was actually deployed differently than in years past - more geared towards offense this year.

 

[Gold Standard]

absolutely yes. 3rd. best player in the league...and if he repeats next year he'll be #2 behind McDavid.

 

[Midnight Judges]

He does score a few more goals but not enough to make up the gap. Physicality isn’t really a positive or negative thing either. And Ovechkin is one of the biggest playoff chokers in the history of the game so that doesn’t really help his case either.

Yikes.

Ovechkin is #1 in playoff goals per game of this era (above 50 games played).

Ovechkin is #3 in playoff points per game of this era (again, above 50 games played).

Physicality sure seemed to be a factor when Ovechkin and the Caps ground your team to dust in games 6 and 7 last year.

 

[nickdawg95]

Crosby Mcdank and MacK