Who do you build around: Draisaitl or Mackinnon?

[The Moose is Loose]

I maintain anyone who says either of them "easily" is wrong and simply proves they're watching highlight reels.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Mackinnon AINEC. I’d take Mack over everyone except maybe McDavid.

 

[Video Nasty]

Drai. He’s left MacKinnon in the dust the last two years which is usually HFBoards favorite argument. They also happen to be better seasons than MacKinnon has ever had.

 

[YEGJuniorFan]

I watch both them a lot. Very similar caliber of players and anyone who picks either and says "easily" or "ainec" is wrong.

They are both play drivers but in different ways.
Mackinnon will hustle his entire line into the offensive zone and immediately snaps a shot or centering pass to create a scoring chance.

Draisaitl is deceivingly fast, but his strength is more East-West play. His stickhandling through multiple defenders and backcheckers is amazing and his play along the boards is the best in the league (imo). He holds on the puck much longer and will stave off defenders to wait out a scoring chance.

Neither is that good defensively. Not as bad as some of here will say, but Mackinnon can get caught trying to do too much, and Draisaitl will make the occasional erratic pass that leads to a turn over. But either way they both mathup against other teams top players and pass the eye test in the defensive zone (imo)- good positioning, big bodies in the way, active sticks.

I'd build around Draisaitl if your team met the following criteria:
You have a goalscoring winger- Draisaitl is the better passer, he'd make more use of a Laine/Ovi
You have a high-end playmaking winger- Draisaitl is the better goalscorer (not by much tho), really nice 1-timer
You have smaller skilled wingers- Draisaitl really uses his body down low and can get physical to cover for a skill guy
Your team has a bad PP- Draisaitl imo controls the ice on the Oilers PP, which is surprising considering they have McDavid

I'd build around Mackinnon if your team met the following criteria:
You have a fast winger- Mackinnon is much better on the rush, driving North/South play
You need a 1 man line- I think Mackinnon could play with less talent better than Draisaitl could, does singlehanded plays more often
You have 2-way wingers- can sometimes cover defensively to allow Mackinnon to play that "thinking breakaway" style that he loves and excels at

While both are elite at essentially all aspects of the game, its obvious by watching playstyle that Mackinnon's number 1 strength is his physical tools where as for Draisaitl it's his hockey IQ.

Interesting enough I think if you put Mackinnon on Detroit, he'd still be a 90+ point player, where as Draisaitl I think would have to work to be PPG. Mackinnon does more with less.
But on the flip side, if you put Mackinnon on Tampa, I don't think he'd improve a ton and would be about a 110-115 point player. However, I think Draisaitl would be looking at 130+ points. Draisaitl utilizes the talent around him better, he will thread a pass only another elite player would think to connect on, or will predict his elite linemates' thinking and find the soft spot in the offensive zone to bury the goal himself.

Gun to my head I would take Colorado's #29. I think Mack is the recipe for consistency and could step onto any team be one of the league's premier players. For some teams (less than 10ish, including Edmonton) I think Draisaitl would be the more effective choice. Neither team would trade their guy for the other and in this instance both teams would be right.

This is as objective of a comparison as I can make.
This choice is by the thinnest of margins, they are close enough that I think the choice between them would be decided by outside factors.

This. Great post.

 

[The Moose is Loose]

This. Great post.

Thank you I appreciate it.

Mackinnon is the more dynamic guy and is flashy in the same exact way that McDavid is, that accleration just makes fans and defensemen alike say "oh shit"

Can't argue though with the results Draisaitl has produced over his young career, especially the past 2 seasons. That combination of consistent goal scoring coupled with that machine-like point production, he is 2nd to none. Considering their value when contracts are taken into account- Draisaitl has an advantage because of that extra term.

Also I think its interesting point that another poster brought up is on how they'll age. Draisaitl is younger and I think he will age more gracefully than McDavid or Mackinnon because he plays such a calm game. He'll be maintainable that high-end play into his 30s compared breakneck speed of McDavid/Mackinnon will be hard to predict how they will pivot their strengths.

Regardless, they are #2 and #3 in the league imo, the order is whichever you like.

 

[tilly123123]

My bad

 

[The Moose is Loose]

I honestly don't think it's close.

Mackinnon is much better. Incredible play driver. He's a menace and pushes the play on his own. His two-way impacts are vastly better.

Mackinnon has done more with less, with more scrutiny, and has better on-ice outcomes. Hard to conclude that he's not the clearly stronger option.

Mackinnon's speed and agility is just terrifying. Not just on the rush, but his cuts and edgework in-zone seem nearly impossible to defend against one-on-one. As an opposing fan, whenever Mackinnon is on the ice, I can feel something bad about to happen.

But thats kinda the point of this debate. Its discussing electric physical tools versus finesse and consistent offensive output. There is 0 debate about who is more exciting to watch, but thats not the deciding factor when it comes to who is the better/more effective player

 

[The Moose is Loose]

If it wasn't for McDavid Draisaitl would just be known as an above average player

He only produces without McDavid due to McDavid heightening his confidence. Mackinnon would put better numbers than Draisaitl if he was playing with McDavid

The guy is likely to win the Art Ross/Hart/Lindsay as well as being 4th in the league in goals, following up a season where he was 2nd in goals and 4th in points and you honestly believe that innately he is only an "above average player"?

Thats absolutely absurd and its even more insane someone liked your posted indicating they agree.

 

[HF007]

Need to see a bigger sample of drai as the main guy

and playoff Mac K a different beast

 

[Sundin92]

Need to see a bigger sample of drai as the main guy

and playoff Mac K a different beast

A beast who got punked by Logan couture

 

[Reality Czech]

It’s MacKinnon and it isn’t close.

Exactly correct.

There isn't an opposing player in the league that terrifies me more than MacKinnon. He can do it all.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

I love MacKinnon's play.

 

[EXTRAS]

I'll go with the forward version of superstar makar.

 

[Holymakinaw]

McKinnon, for sure.

 

[The90]

Pettersson has more potential though. He’s not as good, thus, more potential.

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

Mack easily.

You can’t teach elite skating like. Dude can break open a game at any point.

 

[Balance]

Pettersson has more potential though. He’s not as good, thus, more potential.

Petersson is a bum in comparison to Mackinnon

I'd take Nico Hischier over Petersson any day of the week

 

[Ararana]

In my opinion there is a top elite tier with two players in it; McDavid and MacKinnon. The tier right below that would have the Draisaitls/Matthews/Eichels/Pettersons, any of these players are capable of dominating the league in any given year, but aggregate their careers up and I don't think they're going to pace with McDavid/MacKinnon.

If you ever get a chance at either of those two guys in the top tier, especially the one making 6.3 mil/year, you just thank the hockey gods for the luck.

 

[Mr Tadakichi]

Mackinnon myself, although Drai is a tempting choice.

 

[Mr Tadakichi]

He only produces without McDavid due to McDavid heightening his confidence.

 

[6ix]

Mack easily. Complete player. Draisaitl is terrible defensively and half of his points rely on the power play.

The last season where the point leader was also a minus player, before this year, was in 1993.

 

[snipes]

Mack easily.

You can’t teach elite skating like. Dude can break open a game at any point.

For a counterpoint, you also can’t teach Draisaitl’s elite vision which is unmatched in the NHL. Especially his back hand saucer passes that are just ridiculous.

It’s close for me between the two. It’s clearly MacKinnon/Draisaitl as the 2nd and 3rd best players in the NHL after McDavid for most of us.

As much as I absolutely love Dr. Drai and he was the best player NHL this season who rightfully deserves the Hart, I would probably go with MacKinnon but it’s extremely close.

The only wrong answer is a AINEC type answer for either of them.

 

[bobholly39]

MacKinnon. I'm curious to see where Drai goes moving forward - I think this season he's been incredible, and so it's possible he surpasses Mack. But I have more faith in Mack moving forward consistently at that level than I do Drai. If Drai were to repeat this performance next year, i'd change to him.

Mack easily. Complete player. Draisaitl is terrible defensively and half of his points rely on the power play.

The last season where the point leader was also a minus player, before this year, was in 1993.

Hi. Mario Lemieux had a +55 in 1993, and led the league in that stat (despite only 60 games played). You're probably thinking of Gretzky in 1994.

 

[Emell]

MacKinnon

Draisaitl is the most overrated player in the league by far, currently

 

[Steven Toast]

The last season where the point leader was also a minus player, before this year, was in 1993.

And that players name? Wayne Gretzky.