Mario Lemieux vs Today's NHL

[moog35]

Who cares how many points he would get in todays game.... what would his corsi be????

 

[Crazy Cizikas]

He would be the best player in the league by a large margin.

 

[Crazy Cizikas]

Who cares how many points he would get in todays game.... what would his corsi be????

Have you factored in his Claud Giroux Adjusted Stats?

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

With no holding and hooking, my God he would dominate 10x more!!!

 

[DannyGallivan]

-What do you think? Would Lemieux put up 150+ in todays NHL in prime? How badly would players like Mcdavid and Matthews struggle in a contact and grasp and hold league era?

-I think Lemieux dominates and crushes all players today in prime. I think players like Matthews and Mcdavid stats fall hard in clutch and grab era. Discuss, however

Great point about the clutching and grabbing era. If they interpreted the rule book back in Gretzky and Lemieux's day like they do today, those two would have 200-plus points for several seasons in a row.

Today, when you look at the size of the goaltenders, the overall speed of the game, Lemieux would still get 150 points because there is very little interference.

Heck, he could play next season at 53 years old and get 40 points!

 

[DannyGallivan]

Lemieux was pretty much a MUCH better Malkin. If Malkin has no trouble in todays NHL, then why would Lemieux? He would dominate any era of hockey

Fixed it.

 

[MSZ]

Many of you obviously have never watched him played. He returned in the 00-01 season during the absolute height of the dead puck era, didn't even train in the off season, and he just went out and have a 1.7+ PPG season.

I remembered this very well as a Leafs fan, he totally owned the Leafs in his first game from retirement.

 

[Tundra]

He would dominate on the power play.

 

[The Red Helmet]

Structures are better now, Goalies are better now and Defense is better now.
Mario would still be super but not out produce everyone by a large margin.
If he was to be the best, he would outproduce Mcdavid by 10 points max per year.

In 2002-03 he had 91 points in 67 games at the age of 37. A young Joe Thorton who has been a superstar of this most recent era had 101 points in 77 games. Lemieux had had a better ppg at 37 than a 22 year old Joe Thorton despite Lemeiux going through the various injuries he did through his career. He would destroy today.

Also you can say defense is better now but the game was different. Lemeiux played in the dead puck era where scoring was drastically down and also when defensemen were bigger and more physical. They were able to get away with a lot more physical play that players today don't have to deal with. So defense may be "better" today, but it certainly doesn't mean it is harder to score today. Also goalies might be better on average but I would take Hasek or Roy over any goalie today.

It seems to me people are more than willing to fall back on the crutch of the game has evolved, goalies are better, etc, instead of doing a little research.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Lemieux in the modern NHL...

 

[Crazy Cizikas]

Many of you obviously have never watched him played. He returned in the 00-01 season during the absolute height of the dead puck era, didn't even train in the off season, and he just went out and have a 1.7+ PPG season.

I remembered this very well as a Leafs fan, he totally owned the Leafs in his first game from retirement.

Nevermind how great he was from 85-99. If he didn’t smoke cigarettes, he may have been even better.

 

[thegr8one66]

Structures are better now, Goalies are better now and Defense is better now.
Mario would still be super but not out produce everyone by a large margin.
If he was to be the best, he would outproduce Mcdavid by 10 points max per year.

This! The difference between the best and worst player on a team is so much smaller than in the 80/90's. Everyone can skate. Everyone can shoot. Plus better, bigger goaltenders, team defensive systems.....I find it laughable some people think he'd actually get over 130 points in todays NHL....I go as high as 120.

 

[DannyGallivan]

This! The difference between the best and worst player on a team is so much smaller than in the 80/90's. Everyone can skate. Everyone can shoot. Plus better, bigger goaltenders, team defensive systems.....I find it laughable some people think he'd actually get over 130 points in todays NHL....I go as high as 120.

I agree... but that's pretty good considering that he's 52 years old now.

 

[DitchMarner]

This! The difference between the best and worst player on a team is so much smaller than in the 80/90's. Everyone can skate. Everyone can shoot. Plus better, bigger goaltenders, team defensive systems.....I find it laughable some people think he'd actually get over 130 points in todays NHL....I go as high as 120.

Is the NHL that much different than it was in the 2000s? Jagr scored 123 points in 2006 and Lemieux was better than Jagr.

 

[PenguinSpeed]

-At era Adjusted stats only, Lemieux would put up 138 points. Factoring in the non-touch league we are now in and that was one of the few ways to stop him, I can see 150+ being realistic. I didnt think so before, but when I think about the clutch and grab back then in the 90's and what we are today with limited contact, Lemieux would be on the powerplay 10+ times a game with old rules vs new rules. Either take a penalty or he scores.

 

[rambo97]

Mario would dominate no question. Most talented player of all time.

My only issue is: no clutch and grab in today's game? Do you guys watch McDavid regularly? The kid is constantly held and interfered with all the time and rarely gets called. It's one of the most frustrating things to watch. To have a kid oh-so talented but interfered with constantly which prevents him from bringing fans out of their seats is a tragedy. I get it....he's to fast and skilled to stop so you have to allow that stuff.

But I'm a guy that would love to see Mario, Wayne and Connor do their thing without the interference. Those guys would constantly provide magic and highlight reel plays.

 

[PenguinSpeed]

Mario would dominate no question. Most talented player of all time.

My only issue is: no clutch and grab in today's game? Do you guys watch McDavid regularly? The kid is constantly held and interfered with all the time and rarely gets called. It's one of the most frustrating things to watch. To have a kid oh-so talented but interfered with constantly which prevents him from bringing fans out of their seats is a tragedy. I get it....he's to fast and skilled to stop so you have to allow that stuff.

But I'm a guy that would love to see Mario, Wayne and Connor do their thing without the interference. Those guys would constantly provide magic and highlight reel plays.

-The clutch and grab isnt even close to the 90's. Nor is the head hunting ala Scott Stevens. Completely different games back then and today

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Gretzky and Lemieux would both be head and tails above everyone else if they played today.

Shit in 2003 as a 37 year old cancer survivor, Lemieux had a higher point per game than anyone in the league aside from a prime Forsberg.

 

[AD1066]

Best player in the league no doubt, probably 145 point peak or so.

 

[SEALBound]

In the 80's, player conditioning was also different. You had your physical specimens and gym rats, sure, but you could survive off natural athletics much more so than today. I can't think of many successful NHL all-stars today that don't have a reputation of off-season work ethic.

Remember, in the 80's and even into the 90's Lemieux was a chain-smoker and even got called out by Gretzky in the '87 series for poor conditioning and not taking his health seriously.

So take what we know about Lemieux and tack on a Gary Robert's like conditioning regimen...I think Lemieux would be an absolute monster.

 

[JackSlater]

Unquestioned best player, probably averaging point totals in the 140s if healthy and in prime. Interesting to see if he would be forced to focus more on defence.

 

[SEALBound]

Gretzky and Lemieux would both be head and tails above everyone else if they played today.

**** in 2003 as a 37 year old cancer survivor, Lemieux had a higher point per game than anyone in the league aside from a prime Forsberg.

Indeed. With that, go back and watch the highlights of his first game back after a 3 year layoff in Decemeber of 2000. To come back and just...exist as he was...at that time in those circumstances...unreal.

 

[Kranix]

He'd be somewhere below Marner, but slightly above Scheifele.

 

[PenguinSpeed]

In the 80's, player conditioning was also different. You had your physical specimens and gym rats, sure, but you could survive off natural athletics much more so than today. I can't think of many successful NHL all-stars today that don't have a reputation of off-season work ethic.

Remember, in the 80's and even into the 90's Lemieux was a chain-smoker and even got called out by Gretzky in the '87 series for poor conditioning and not taking his health seriously.

So take what we know about Lemieux and tack on a Gary Robert's like conditioning regimen...I think Lemieux would be an absolute monster.

-LOL. I have to laugh at this. Phil Kessel is the goat of not working out.

 

[DannyGallivan]

He'd be somewhere below Marner, but slightly above Scheifele.