Transport 93 Lemieux into july 2023? Read op

[potatowejj]

Mario is someone whose skills wouldn’t be lost in the generational shift, at least not yet. He was fast enough to keep up, his brain would still be elite, he picked corners all day long so it really wouldn’t matter that the goalies are better. His dangles maybe wouldn’t work quite as well on defenseman but he had plenty of tools to compensate, and his reach would still be just as effective.

I don’t think he’d had a point drop off, and he could possibly be doing better. No modern player has to fight for space the way he had to.

People are forgetting he had a pretty elite shot and his puck control skills were second to none. You can't just say "oh defensemen nowadays would stop him" with those kinds of skillsets. He's not as fast as McDavid, but he would still be an absolute pain in the ass to try to stop with his size.

Jagr wasn't that far from him as a player and he did very well during the DPE and even some of the post-lockout years. Also are people just forgetting that Geno dominated the post-lockout league at times and he was quite similar? With that said, I think Mario's skills were still on another level from Malkin.

 

[SML2]

Watching for 30+ years and nope. They were terrible.

To be fair, the job was different. Outside of the rare "offensive" defenseman, the job was to play with your back to the net and protect your zone. You can't judge by today's metric. It's like looking at a farmer who had a horse and a plow and saying he sucked compared to those that have tractors.

 

[BlueAzN]

A sick/injured Mario couldnt be stopped with a defenseman waterskiing off him. Healthy and with todays interference rules? He would break the season point record.

He’d break Gritskys scoring record

 

[Artemi Panarin]

This thread has transported me to summer on HFBoards

 

[gretzkyoilers]

People are forgetting he had a pretty elite shot and his puck control skills were second to none. You can't just say "oh defensemen nowadays would stop him" with those kinds of skillsets. He's not as fast as McDavid, but he would still be an absolute pain in the ass to try to stop with his size.

Jagr wasn't that far from him as a player and he did very well during the DPE and even some of the post-lockout years. Also are people just forgetting that Geno dominated the post-lockout league at times and he was quite similar? With that said, I think Mario's skills were still on another level from Malkin.

True but players like Paul Kariya stated that Mario could "flat our fly" when he wanted to (this was in the 2000's on Team Canada). Also watch a recent clip with Chris Pronger on playing against Mario, he said is was much faster than he thought he would be and was very difficult to defend against.

 

[Maple Leaf]

was he really that good?

 

[WalterLundy]

He’d break Gritskys scoring record

Just like he did back then…..

During the live puck era (1980 to 1993) the league average goals per game was 3.74. Since scoring has started to go up in 2017-18 to the current 2023-24 season average goals per game is at 3.02. A 216 point season now that would break the Gretzky record would be worth 268 points back then. Considering Lemieux’s best points per game ever translates to 219 back then I think these suggestions are pretty absurd. I watched this guy play hundreds of times live and I know how good he was. However to say that he’d be nearly 25% better than he was then in todays game is ludicrous.

 

[Pancakes]

Let me put it to you all this way. Look at the season 33 year old Jaromir Jagr put up in 05-6, and then imagine what a prime Mario Lemieux would do as he was even better than that Jagr and that version of Jagr wasn't even Jagr's best version of himself.

 

[Mobiandi]

He would be lapping the field. Probably would be putting up 200 points at least

 

[LightningStrikes]

A sick/injured Mario couldnt be stopped with a defenseman waterskiing off him. Healthy and with todays interference rules? He would break the season point record.

Lemieux was a bull. Compare that goalie to today’s goalies though (gear, size, athleticism, positioning etc). It would be really interesting to see prime 66 (or any other legends from back then) in today’s game with the advancements the sport has made.

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

I wonder if the catapult-superflex sticks from nowadays would help him alleviate the pressure on his back.

 

[x Tame Impala]

180-200 points. Rocket, Hart, Lindsday, and Ross for sure.

 

[67 others]

He could get 180+ points and 80 goals. I mean he did it in ‘96 (pace wise over 70 games) when the scoring was the same as this year…after a year off.

Gretzky was better in his early career but I personally believe that 25-30 years old Lemieux is the best hockey player ever.

On that note, Mario was a cheeseburger eating , chain smoking slacker in his early career.

Playing with Gretzky in the canada cup is what woke him up to how hard Wayne worked to be best. He was coasting on his talent and semi lazy(and still elite). He changed after that canada cup and started putting in the effort.

His body didn't appreciate his style of play though.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

To play devil’s advocate, he was massive compared to his counterparts then. Players are bigger and stronger now than they were in the 80s. I mean look at the two best d-men from that era: Coffey and Bourque. One was 6 foot and the other 5’11

As opposed to the massive physical beasts like Makar, Fox, Josi, and Q. Hughes?

 

[Atoyot]

Except 35 year old Lemieux didn't even lead the NHL in points even if we just restrict it to the games he played in. And then his PPG went down over time until he went 6 games with no goals and a .5 PPG. But okay.

No, because of injuries. He led the league in points per game by a significant margin. At 35. In the dead puck era. After not playing for 3 years.

 

[Tofveve]

I think if he had top tier linemates similar to what he had in 93 he'd be challenging for league records. Still not sure he'd break the 92 goal and 215 pt single season totals though. Hard to predict against those.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Healthy and motivated, Lemieux was the best player I’ve ever personally seen. I’ve had to be reluctantly converted to believing that a younger Gretzky was better, but even then I have my moments of doubt. And Lemieux was markedly better than anyone we’ve seen since.

Don’t take that as me dismissing the greatness of guys like Crosby and Ovechkin and McDavid. But Lemieux was simply that good. He was like Barry Sanders or Muhammad Ali. He played the game in a way that was visibly elevated above everyone else on the ice. Players like that come along less than once in a generation.

I have no doubt that he would be the best player in the league and pushing 75-85-160 type numbers in this environment.

 

[Bowski]

He probably bitches a whole bunch and then quits - just like he did in real life.

Of course, this thread would bring out the hero we deserve.

But it's never considered trolling.

Now start one on Bobby Orr and read about his lack of "durability skill".

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

With current day sticks and equipment Mario would be a life life EA Sports glitch, even with 80s- early 00s heavier and bulky equipment and wooden sticks he could go nuts, with lighter and more protective gear, Jesus that's terrifying if you're a goalie.

 

[WalterLundy]

was he really that good?

His absolute best season versions (89 and 93) would have him be the best player by 10-15 points last year and 20-30 this year if all 82 games are played. If the was he really that good question is referring to scoring 200 or more now then no absolutely not. Don’t let those outlandish comments trick you. If it is asking if he would be the best player right now if added to the league then yes. His two peak seasons would be between 155-175 and his prime points per game (best 5 or 6 seasons in a row) would be close to 2. 1.8-2.00 range.

 

[TheStatican]

Of course, this thread would bring out the hero we deserve.
View attachment 848837
But it's never considered trolling.

Now start one on Bobby Orr and read about his lack of "durability skill".

He's so obvious its laughable, his child-like attempts to bait people are embarrassing.

 

[the valiant effort]

Some hockey fans really are convinced that today's average player is immortal. Matthias Ekholm would still have to resort to trying to jump on Mario's back and Mario is still dragging him to the net.

 

[MattMartin]

If he played today he would look like Trouba playing Center.

 

[TheAngryHank]

Whine to an official/60 about the same.
Call it a garbage league a record 10 times.
Threaten to quit a minimum of 7 times.

 

[lawrence]

goaltending and defensive tactics are so much more developed than it was back than. I’m afraid he won’t be as good as people think. That said it think he ends up with around 164 points.