It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize there are way fewer goals scored now than for most of Fedorov's career, take a look at scoring leaders or goalie leaders
In 92-93 Fedorov's most productive season 7311 goals were scored over 1008 games an average of 7.25 goals per game
In 08-09 Datsyuk's most productive season 7010 goals were scored over 1230 games an average of 5.7 goals per game
In 11-12 6543 goals were scored over 1230 games an average of 5.32 goals per game
Bettman allowed the goalie equipment to get bigger and bigger to restrict talent and skill for the sake of parity so weaker teams have a better chance of winning.
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...vGd9NmSfnPlZOkA&bvm=bv.57155469,d.cWc&cad=rja
So many grass is greener on the other side people here. if Datsyuk played then and fedorov now most of you who say Fedorov would say Datsyuk.
There is more of a talent pool to choose from now and with the progress of the science of training and nutrition players are bigger, faster, stronger and better than they were even 10 years ago.
Datsyuk is arguably the best there is now and therefore possibly the best to ever lace up a pair of skates.
I think a lot of Wings' fans are taking it for granted that we may be watching the best that ever lived and Bettman is taking away one of his last years from us and he already took another.
From 90-96 goal scoring was at or over 6 goals a game since then it's always been well under so Fedorov had 6 years with a lot more net to shoot at than Datsyuk has had. Best way to compare their stats would be how many times they were in the top 3, top 5, top 10 and top 20 in scoring. Because they're both great defensively (Pavel's got more Selkes) this could be a fair comparison. Fedorov also had the advantage of playing for the Wings before the salary cap.
I guess there is no way to prove if a player from one era is better than one from another (there's no way to prove it about players playing in the same era, I am sure most Penguins fans would disagree that Datsyuk is the best) but it certainly was a lot easier to score for at least 6 of Fedorov's season than it is now because they had a lot more net to shoot at. That's obvious, I thought everyone who is old enough knew that, even if you aren't old enough to have watched hockey before Bettman it is obvious by the stats
By the a goal a game difference is a total of 1260 goals divided by 30 teams is 42 goal. Since Detroit has most often been a top 5 goal scoring team in most of the years that Fedorov or Datsyuk have played you can easily bump that up to 50. Fedorov and Datsyuk are in on more than a third of the Wings' goals so a goal a game difference in league scoring adds to about a 17 point difference for Fedorov or Datsyuk.
Another way to compare their stats and factor in the larger goalie equipment now is how many times were they top3, top5, top 10, and top 20. I think statistically considering the goalie equipment Datsyuk will have a slight advantage even though Fedorov had better teammates in the pre cap days
But I think the biggest advantage Datsyuk has is as a leader. I know he is a quiet but he sets an example of how to conduct oneself with class on and off the ice and he works hard to be the best he can be, one of the best conditioned athletes in the league he has made his deficiencies his strengths. His first year in the NHl he was weak and skinny and easily knocked off the puck (I loved watching him make plays as he was falling or sprawled out on the ice) terrible on face-offs (he won less than 40% of his face-offs his rookie year). He is the shiftiest most fun to watch hockey player I have ever seen
I am very surprised by the poll results, I thought he would walk away with it
I did the math in the 13 yrs that Fedorov played for the Wings the NHL averaged 6.094 goals a game in the 10 that Datsyuk has played so far the NHL averaged 5.494 goals per game a 0.6 difference or 738 goals per year divided by 30 teams =24.6 pump iy up to 30 because Detroit scores a lot more than the average team and because Datsyuk and Fedorov factor in in about 1/3 of the Wings goals, Fedorov should average 10 points more per season than Datsyuk to be equal factoring in the difference made by the goalie equipment. I will figure those averages shortly
In 13 seasons with the Wings, Fedorov was in the top 20 scorers 3x ( 93-94 he was 2nd, 95-96 he was 9th, and 02-03 he was 12th)
In 10 seasons with the Wings, Datsyuk was in the top 20 scorers 4x (05-06 he was 17th, 06-07, he was 15th 07-08 he was 4th and 08-09 he was 4th)
Slight edge Datsyuk statistically. But when you factor in better teammates for Fedorov in the cap free days and the fact that Datsyuk has won 3 Selkes to 2 for Fedorov and Datsyuk's class, quiet leadership, i really can't believe that there is any question
Fedorov scored 954 points in 908 games with the Wings averaging 1.05 points per game or 86.1 points over 82 gmes
Datsyuk has scored 718 points in 732 games averaging 0.98 points per game or 80.43 over 82 games. Add 10 points per season to Datsyuk for the bigger goalie equipment difference and he is slightly ahead of Fedorov and you don't even need to factor any difference for goaltending equipment if you include Fed with other teams Datsyuk has a higher career NHL PPG than Fedorov
in his first 6 years when the NHL allowed 6.69 goals a game Fedorov scored 529 points in 432 games, a 1.22 PPG (100.4 pace over 82 games) but when the goalie equipment ballooned Fedorov's production plummeted. In his next 7 years when the NHL allowed 5.57 goals a game (much closer to the 5.494 allowed during Datsyuk's career), Fedorov scored 425 points in 477 games a 0.89 PPG (72.98 pace over 82 games which is significantly lower than Datsyuk's 0.98 PPG or 80.43 pace over 82 games )
it's not about the PPG, there is so much more to stats other than a players ability to produce and his effort like the superior teammates Fedorov had on the cap free Wings teams.
I feel that Datsyuk is dominant in a way that Fedorov was only on occasion and that is not a knock against Fedorov. So many people wax poetic about Fedorov but there was a time around the turn of the century when he was regarded by a lot of Re Wings fans much like the much maligned Franzen is now (unfair in my opinion in both cases)
Fedorov was one of the best of his era, Datsyuk IS arguably the best of his.