McDavid's season at prime Gretzky/Lemieux level?

[illpucks]

1.89 ppg. Is McDavid's season at prime Gretzky/Lemieux level?

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[GlitchMarner]

I think so. Offensively maybe he's still slightly below them, but he makes up for that by being decent to above average defensively (this season); they were offense-only centres and in most cases offense is all they need to be considered superior to others.

Additionally, his supporting cast isn't quite as good as theirs were. He has Drai whereas Wayne had Mess, Kurri, Anderson, Coffey etc. Mario had Murphy, Stevens, Tocchet, Francis, Jagr etc.

 

[TheNumber4]

Atleast provide ERA adjusted stats if your gonna make a thread like this. He compares very favourably

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

No for the simple fact it's not against the full nhl

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

I think so. Offensively maybe he's still slightly below them, but he makes up for that by being decent to above average defensively (this season); they were offense-only centres and in most cases offense is all they need to be considered superior to others.

Additionally, his supporting cast isn't quite as good as theirs were. He has Drai whereas Wayne had Mess, Kurri, Anderson, Coffey etc. Mario had Murphy, Stevens, Tocchet, Francis, Jagr etc.

Gretzky put up a 212pt season before Coffey, Messier or Kurri ever hit 90. Team mates had absolutely nothing to do with his production.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

No for the simple fact it's not against the full nhl

Exactly.

 

[GlitchMarner]

Gretzky put up a 212pt season before Coffey, Messier or Kurri ever hit 90. Team mates had absolutely nothing to do with his production.

Fair enough. Obviously he was the offensive catalyst on those teams.

 

[Albatros]

Gretzky put up a 212pt season before Coffey, Messier or Kurri ever hit 90. Team mates had absolutely nothing to do with his production.

Why didn't he do the same with Callighen and MacDonald then? Gretzky could excel with lesser players too, but it's a bit rich to suggest that playing with all-time greats didn't help him.

 

[bobholly39]

No, it's not.

It might be among the closest though - but still, it's not. 56 games isn't 82 games. Other players have had stretches of ~50-60 games where they play at a crazy pace, and then slow down for the other ~20-30 games. Crosby, Kucherov, Thornton.

If he can keep this pace over 82 games? Sure - prime Gretzky/Lemieux level imo. (not peak - but prime, yes).

Also - there's still the Divisional format to consider. It's hard to properly gauge how much of an affect it had on his production. It probably helped at least a little - just not sure how much.

 

[PeterCheater]

The fact that this question can be fairly discussed is a huge testimony to McDavid's greatness this year no matter what your answer really is.

It's 54-games season on a level of prime Gretzky/Lemieux, we don't know yet if he's able to produce like that in 82-games season.

 

[bobholly39]

The fact that this question can be fairly discussed is a huge testimony to McDavid's greatness this year no matter what your answer really is.

I voted no - but I agree with this statement 100%.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

No. The north division inflates stats.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Why didn't he do the same with Callighen and MacDonald then? Gretzky could excel with lesser players too, but it's a bit rich to suggest that playing with all-time greats didn't help him.

Probably because he was 19 years old? It doesn't matter what Messier, Kurri and Coffey ending up becoming. They were random no names when Gretzky put up 212pts.

 

[JackSlater]

Prime level sure but not peak level. Great season and I look forward to seeing what he does when healthy in a more normal NHL next year.

 

[IslesBro715]

What he's done is very impressive, but also remember he's playing in a division where the best team didn't even make the playoffs last year.

 

[Mickey Marner]

If he follows this up with a similar season next year, sure. But if he drops back to being a 115-120 point player in a regular 82-game season I'd consider it an anomaly.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

No. If he can do it again next year during a real season , then maybe

 

[Video Nasty]

No.

But this season and whatever he does next season with health is probably the closest we’re going to see for awhile.

And that’s a huge feat.

 

[Gurglesons]

It isn't, but in reality nobody is on Gretzky and Lemieux's level. If McDavid does this next year he'll start entering that conversation.

 

[McFlash97]

Didn't vote.

Not sure. He is close though.

Prime Gretzky is hard to match

97 is close this year

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

It's not on their level but no one is except Gretzky and Lemieux.

 

[filinski77]

If he follows this up with a similar season next year, sure. But if he drops back to being a 115-120 point player in a regular 82-game season I'd consider it an anomaly.

Pretty much this.

I don't want to take away from what McDavid did this season, because he killed it 100%. But all that means is that McDavid was better at putting up offense against 6 teams than the rest of the NHL was. Regardless of the what division he played in, putting up a crazy high point/gp pace in 56 games in a season like this is not even remotely the same as doing it when you play all teams and everyone is healthy and there's no COVID stuff going on.

Next season will either prove people like me wrong (and I'm okay with that), or it will shut up a lot of Oilers fans that are trying to use these extremely odd circumstances and act like it's the norm.

 

[Muggs]

I voted yes, although I do believe that next year's #'s would really cement that belief.

So I understand why some need to see that league wide. The level of play and production in this era is absolutely there though.

 

[Cleatus]

He's had an unbelievable season, but I'd have to see him maintain this PPG in a full season against all 31 other teams for me to put it at prime Gretzky/Lemieux level.

 

[authentic]

If he follows this up with a similar season next year, sure. But if he drops back to being a 115-120 point player in a regular 82-game season I'd consider it an anomaly.

Is anyone actually expecting this to happen considering he paced for 125 with a serious leg injury he played through the first half of last season?