I never thought Fedorov was a lot better than Sundin. Why do you think he was?
"A lot better"? I agree. Never thought Fedorov was a lot better than Sundin either. Although, I think there is a very legit case to make that he was "better." I'll say this, personally, Sundin is one of my top-5 favorite players to ever play the game - Fedorov is not. But I'm going to try and be completely unbiased here. I'll break this down into two categories: ACHIEVEMENTS and THE EYE TEST...
1. ACHIEVEMENTS
Why Sergei Fedorov was better:
- (3) Stanley Cups vs. (0) Cups for Sundin
- (2) Selke trophies vs. (0) for Sundin
- (1) Hart trophy vs. (0) for Sundin
- (1) Ted Lindsay Award vs. (0) for Sundin
- 36 shorthanded goals (8th all-time) vs. 31 for Sundin (20th all-time)
Why Mats Sundin was better:
- Above a point-per-game throughout entire career vs. Fedorov being under a point-per-game
- (15) seasons of 70 points or more vs. (6) 70+ point seasons for Fedorov
- (8) All-Star games vs. (6) for Fedorov
- 96 game-winning goals (12th all-time) vs. 93 for Fedorov (14th all-time)
- 160 powerplay goals (36th all-time) vs. 144 for Fedorov (57th all-time)
- "Adjusted Points"... Sundin = 1,410 (18th all-time) vs. Fedorov = 1,226 (40th all-time)
When it comes to playoffs, these guys were close. Fedorov edged Sundin in points-per-game (0.96 vs. 0.92). However, Sundin edged Fedorov in the following two departments: Overtime goals (2 vs. 1) and Hat-tricks (8 vs. 6).
2. THE EYE TEST
Why Sergei Fedorov was better:
- Fedorov was one of the prettiest (and fastest) skaters in NHL history
- Fedorov was a 200 foot demon, who was so versatile and responsible, he even took shifts on defense on occasion
- Fedorov's wrist shot was lethal, he would pick a corner with ease and fire lasers under the bar at will
- Fedorov was more of an artist on the ice, in the mold of Perreault, Lafleur, etc. but even better in both ends of the rink
Why Mats Sundin was better:
- Sundin was bigger and stronger than Fedorov. Blessed with a 6-5, 230 frame, Sundin was a monster to defend physically
- Sundin's backhander was among the very best in NHL history
- Sundin's reach was almost Lemieux-like, and he used it to beat defenders and goaltenders one-on-one, like Mario
- Sundin seemed to carry his teams on his back, while Fedorov was loaded with help in HHOFers like Yzerman, Shanahan, Lidstrom, Fetisov, etc.
- Sundin was extremely consistent. He played 18 years in the NHL and in only 2 years did he not score at a 70+ point pace... his rookie year, and his final year in Vancouver. Amazing. The guy was a horse.
- On the International Stage, Sundin was money. Even though his team was full of icons, mainly Forsberg and Lidstrom, Sundin was often the best player on the ice for Sweden.
3. CONCLUSION
In my opinion, this is a very close call. When it comes to career achievements and hardware, Fedorov clearly bests Sundin. That said, Fedorov also had the luxury for playing with some of the greatest players of his generation, and being coached by Scotty Bowman. Detroit was considered an elite team during most of Fedorov's time there, and he received a ton of due credit. Conversely, Sundin played on some average Leafs teams and many years had to do everything for his club. I know it's the "what if" game, but you need to ask: If Sundin and Fedorov swapped teams, how would their careers have turned out? There's no way to know, but Sundin did have his best year (scoring 114) while finally playing with some awesome talent in Quebec... he was traded that summer. Sundin went to 2 more All-Star games than Fedorov as well.
As for statistical accomplishments, this is where Mats fares extremely well, and edges Fedorov in many departments. Sundin's consistency was scary good. He was a bull that you could build a franchise around and he was strong enough to carry it on his back. The eye test is tricky as there are cases to be made for either player - I think this comes down to TOMATO, TOMAHTO - which style of player do you prefer? Do you want to build around the 200 foot Selke winner that could dazzle the crowd and skate like the wind? Or would you like to build around the 6-5, 225+ pound monster who is extremely durable, consistent, and capable of carrying your team, while captaining it?
Personally, watching both of these players closely their entire careers, I would choose Sundin over Fedorov if building a team from scratch. Then I would surround Mats with talent, including some high-end 200 foot, defensive players to give me some of what I'm losing in passing on Fedorov. But that's just me - I love big, strong centers who can play any style: finesse, physical, tight-checking, intimidating, etc. Consistency is also huge for me. Sundin was a rock you could bank on 24/7/365.
All of that said, if I were to put my personal preference aside, I think looking at the Championships, the Selke's and the MVP, Sergei Fedorov makes the case for being the better all-around player. Even though Mats has him in production and consistency, the gap isn't wide enough to overrule Fedorov's trophy case.