When will MacKinnon surpass Duchene?

[RoyIsALegend]

Simple question... answer based on your own criteria, whether it is in points or importance to the team or whatever.

At what point does Nathan MacKinnon become "better" than Matt Duchene?

My prediction: Half-way mark of this season.

What do you guys think?

To provide some context, we had this thread and very interesting discussion back in February:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1599945

Click to read more...

 

[forsbergavs32]

If not by the end of this season, then next season for sure.

 

[henchman21]

Importance to the team... he might have already done that. If MacKinnon plays well, the Avs will do well. If he does poorly, the Avs will do poorly. Beyond Varly, MacK's play might be the single most important factor for the Avs' season.

Now my criteria would be all around play, and I think MacK is probably a half to full season behind Duchene. MacK needs to get much better defensively and in the faceoff circle. Offensively they will be similar.

 

[Avs_19]

Offensively I think he will at some point this season.

 

[captaincheese]

Next Olympic break. Woo Canada is going to be stacked!!

 

[CobraAcesS]

Importance to the team... he might have already done that. If MacKinnon plays well, the Avs will do well. If he does poorly, the Avs will do poorly. Beyond Varly, MacK's play might be the single most important factor for the Avs' season.

Now my criteria would be all around play, and I think MacK is probably a half to full season behind Duchene. MacK needs to get much better defensively and in the faceoff circle. Offensively they will be similar.

This is the major sticking point IMO, I wouldn't be surprised if MacK out scores Duchene this year. However I think it'll take MacK another full season (maybe longer) to be the better all around player.

With that said... MacKinnon's physical size and his willingness to use it could give him more of a power element than Duchene will ever have. Which will also allow him to take on top line competition and defensive pairs easier.

He's already 6'0 200 now right? Could even be taller after seeing that picture of him and Roenick standing next to each other.

All in all, MacK has more raw physical tools than Duchene does. How long his brain takes to figure out all 200ft of the ice is the question.

We have a visitor at practice.

 

[henchman21]

He's already 6'0 200 now right? Could even be taller after seeing that picture of him and Roenick standing next to each other.

I think he is closer to 6'1" 205-208lbs now. The Avs site is just terrible at updating height and weight.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I think he is closer to 6'1" 205-208lbs now. The Avs site is just terrible at updating height and weight.

Yeah, I just wasn't sure. If him and Landeskog stay together, and MacK gets better defensively. They are going to terrorize the NHL together.

Edit : Roenick is/was listed at 6'1 205, after a google search. (Hes probably much heavier than that now lol)

 

[Alex Jones]

I'm not sure he's not the better player today. I'll say this, I think he will be the better player when 2015 rolls around.

 

[avsfan09]

It's possible he could pass him this season but I see it as more likely to happen next season.

Although I expect Mac to be a better playoff performer.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

To provide some context, we had this thread and very interesting discussion back in February:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1599945

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1473115

Another poll from before MacK even played a game for us.

For the sake of fairness, I believe a 'Tie' option should be possible.

 

[CobraAcesS]

It's possible he could pass him this season but I see it as more likely to happen next season.

Although I expect Mac to be a better playoff performer.

The day that MacKinnon is actually the one taking on tougher competition, will also mean that Duchene will see easier match ups.

Toss a coin as to who you want your second defensive pair facing, because their probably going to get taken advantage of either way.

 

[tigervixxxen]

The day that MacKinnon is actually the one taking on tougher competition, will also mean that Duchene will see easier match ups.

Toss a coin as to who you want your second defensive pair facing, because their probably going to get taken advantage of either way.

He already might especially if Iggy is on that line.

It's hard for me to say, Duchene is the better all around player but I think MacK has the ability to impact the game more right now.

While Varly was a big part of last year's success I do wonder what the season would have looked like without MacKinnon, I think he adds a huge element. Seems like a great locker room guy too, seems like a glue guy that gets along with people easily.

 

[5280]

I voted for the "beginning of next season". I think it's going to take Mack a little bit of time to figure out the defensive side of things as a center in the NHL. He should iron it out towards the end of the season, have a good run into the playoffs and do well in the playoffs themselves.

I agree with Henchman - Unless we have injuries, the Avs' success will mirror how fast Mack can adjust to the defensive responsibilities of a center in the NHL.

I'm actually prepared for the team to start the season off slow. We have two notoriously slow starting stars in Dutchy and Iggy and we have Mack moving up as the new second line center.

 

[tucker3434]

His best against Duchene's best, he's better right now. He still needs to round out his game and play with more consistency to pass Dutchy overall. So, when will his game mature to the point where you'd choose him in most situations over Duchene? I'd say he's still a year or two away. I'd expect him to score similarly to Duchene this year but with a worse plus/minus.

 

[Avs71]

I voted midway of this season, but I think we often forget how amazing Duchene is. MacKinnon picked up a lot of hype during the Wild series, and really showed what he is going to be capable of. Duchene didn't get a chance to show anything. Duchene's drive to get better is just as strong, his speed is just as good, and his hands are lightning quick. He is probably going to have an incredible season too.

Even if MacKinnon only becomes as good as good as Duchene, the Avs are very fortunate.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I voted midway of this season, but I think we often forget how amazing Duchene is. MacKinnon picked up a lot of hype during the Wild series, and really showed what he is going to be capable of. Duchene didn't get a chance to show anything. Duchene's drive to get better is just as strong, his speed is just as good, and his hands are lightning quick. He is probably going to have an incredible season too.

Even if MacKinnon only becomes as good as good as Duchene, the Avs are very fortunate.

I agree, to me the best person in camp was Duchene. He's a phenomenal player and sometimes that does get lost especially when we don't see it for a bit. But still for me it's very tough to compare the two. I really think they are about even right now for different reasons.

 

[Freudian]

I'm hoping for Duchene to have a career year, delaying the succession for a while. I know MacKinnon could take another step, but so could Duchene.

 

[Crisp Breakout]

I'm gonna stick with what I said in the last thread. Early in this year, because MacKinnon's summer training will have given him a chance to "handle" big minutes in the NHL.

No but he's getting awfully close, even ignoring Duchene's cold streak. MacKinnon's game has rounded out extremely well. One thing that he is better than Duchene at already, and ten times better than Duchene in his first three years is being unpredictable. Duchene tends to find one thing that works and then latch onto it. People are catching onto his back and forth game in the corner. I'm never sure what MacKinnon will do with the puck, and that's the mark of a truly elite offensive player. It won't be long before MacKinnon leads this team, hopefully with Landeskog on his wing because they are incredible together.

But I think we're starting to see that MacKinnon has some serious conditioning to do if he wants to be his usual level of dynamic for 20 minutes in a game. I expect to see some clear separation (Mac over Duchene) after a this summer's conditioning.

 

[landy92mack29]

by February mack will pass him

 

[Tweaky]

All star break. Both will be in the game, but MacK will be the headliner. For me it boils down to which scares a defenseman more; Duchene is scary when asked about, but Nate is the one that gets brought up spontaneously. All around game, Matt is still a bit ahead, but I think that a couple months of playing center in the NHL will even it out some.

 

[freeboy]

Duchy is crazy quick
Mac is faster
Both great hockey instincts
Both soft hands
Which is better team player!
That tough
If the did a draft today, hypothetically
Who would you draft? Again they both are top guys....
I think it's not unreasonable to see Mac becoming more dominant power wise and Duchy to excell in skillfully setting himself or line mates up. I remember Sakik Forsberg and hope we can get done with the new guys what they did... Not comparing the pairs FYI.

 

[cgf]

2-4 more seasons. MacK was terribad defensively lady year and wasn't as good offensively. He'll need a few years to learn to defend and catch up to Duchene offensively, and Matty's not gunna stop improving himself just so Nate can catch up.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Duchy is crazy quick
Mac is faster
Both great hockey instincts
Both soft hands
Which is better team player!
That tough
If the did a draft today, hypothetically
Who would you draft? Again they both are top guys....
I think it's not unreasonable to see Mac becoming more dominant power wise and Duchy to excell in skillfully setting himself or line mates up. I remember Sakik Forsberg and hope we can get done with the new guys what they did... Not comparing the pairs FYI.

Mack is faster, Duchene is quick as well, but more agile, Duchene is better defensively, MacK is way better natural goal scorer, MacK is naturally stronger I believe or different bodytype, he could dominate game physically and I believe next season we will see MacK dominate more using his body. I think MacK will be one of the best in NHL, Duchene should be always around top-10 centers, at peak might be top-5 center as well. We have very sick top two centers. Having two elite centers, damn, we are so lucky to have history of great centers, Sakic, Forsberg and future MacK and Duchene.

 

[AvalancheFan19]

With Mackinnon I feel we all tend to underrate Duchene. Dutchy has had long stretch of being an elite centre in the NHL. Personally, I feel he's gotten a lot better each year and there's definitely room for growth. He's a hard worker and knows what it takes to be a top player in this league. I expect 75-80 points this year. With that being said however, I do believe Mackinnon is more gifted both physically and talent-wise so he should pass him soon enough.