Will Auston Matthews be a better player than Mike Modano?

[NyQuil]

Is Modano still considered the best American player in history? or has Pat Kane taken that title now?

Was Modano ever in consideration as the best forward in the league?

I think Kane has been.

I don't know if it's kind of a Sundin vs. Forsberg comparison.

 

[Voight]

Matthews and Modano are like polar opposites as players, sort of hard to compare.

Is Modano still considered the best American player in history? or has Pat Kane taken that title now?

Between Kane and Chelios.

Honestly, its been Chelios for a very long time. He peaked way higher than Modano and had a much better career,

 

[LeafChief]

Modano was a hell of a player. I'd be happy with that.

 

[joe dirte]

Was Modano ever in consideration as the best forward in the league?

I think Kane has been.

I don't know if it's kind of a Sundin vs. Forsberg comparison.

The knock against Forsberg was his injuries and longevity. Sundin was stable as hell. But even with that, Forsberg had enough of a career, and enough years as an elite player, that it's really not close. I can't imagine anyone ever taking Sundin over Forsberg.

Modano was a hell of a player, but neither Kane nor Modano struggled with injuries in any signifcant way. I'd say Kane is definitely more talented and dynamic. the only thing I'd give Modano is that he was one hell of a respected player and leader. Kane doesn't seem to have that same presence.

 

[BAM]

It started whenever Leafs fans started talking about McDavid.............

Oiler fans are using to blaming everything but their team so this makes sense

 

[34]

Auston Matthews will be the best American born player to ever play the game. He will win multiple Rockets in his career and score more goals than anyone in the game today. (Current). This kid is a goal scoring machine.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Matthews and Modano are like polar opposites as players, sort of hard to compare.

Is Modano still considered the best American player in history? or has Pat Kane taken that title now?

Is Modano even above Roenick?

 

[NyQuil]

Is Modano even above Roenick?

I would pretty safely put him above Roenick.

Jeremy had a higher but much shorter peak.

 

[joe dirte]

Is Modano even above Roenick?

yes, easily.

 

[joe dirte]

I would pretty safely put him above Roenick.

Jeremy had a higher but much shorter peak.

Roenick had a great start to his career, for about 3 or 4 years. Then for the most part became a 60 to 70 point forward.

Modano wasn't really all that far behind Roenick in those years, then subsequently spent 7 or 8 years with Hart AND Selke consideration, as a point per game plus 2 way centre, and very well respected leader.

It's not really close.

 

[joe dirte]

Auston Matthews will be the best American born player to ever play the game. He will win multiple Rockets in his career and score more goals than anyone in the game today. (Current). This kid is a goal scoring machine.

Hold your horses Bruv. he's got a long ways to go.

 

[34]

Hold your horses Bruv. he's got a long ways to go.

He sure does.

 

[MadLuke]

Is Modano still considered the best American player in history? or has Pat Kane taken that title now?

Not sure Modano ever was, Chris Chelios before and now Kane probably above him.

It is not a consensus, but in most list Chelios is on top (for those that consider Brett Hull Canadian, those who put him has an American will sometime have him number 1)

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I would pretty safely put him above Roenick.

Jeremy had a higher but much shorter peak.

Fair enough. I guess Roenick's peak stood out to me more than Modano's. Forgot how many Top 10 Selke finishes Modano got over the course of his career.

 

[M88K]

I would take Modano over a ton of players including Matthews and Kane (currently) but I'm not exactly impartial either.
But even though I would say Modano is, currently, the best American player in NHL history (I'd take him over Chelios too) that real distinction belongs to Pat Lafontaine.

But as far as scoring goes
Kane will surpass Modano in the next few years , I'd expect Eichel and Matthews too.
Especially if the league further finds ways to inflate scoring

And as far as individual awards go... they are all in the correct markets to make that happen too. Especially with the substandard way the voted awards, are... voted.


None of them will ever have the impact that Modano had on growing hockey, but as far as awards and scoring. Yeah when all is said and done they should all be above him

 

[jetsforever]

Yeah, why not

 

[Tage2Tuch]

It is absolutely ridiculous how many people on here don’t realize how consistent, and truly great modano was. For American hockey, in 02 in salt lake the guy still looked great....Saying things like he already is. But yeah, if Matthews stays healthy he should be one day.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

When did team accomplishments become a metric for how good an indivial player is?

People do this jus to add layers to their argument because it works in other sports like football, basketball, baseball but in hockey only the player that’s on the ice longest (non goalie) still barely plays half a game if that at all, which most of the time they don’t! And the best forward only plays a third of the game so it’s really just something I think because of other sports people say, and because at playoff time abd to legacies like ovechkin winning the cup it adds credibility to the overall legacy of guys.

for young players it’s an absolute joke to hold their team success against then like JT fin Long Island for so many years having little team success, barkov in Florida, jack, and many others care in point mcdrainhave been to one playoffs in a normal 82 game season years.

 

[LeafsNation75]

People do this jus to add layers to their argument because it works in other sports like football, basketball, baseball but in hockey only the player that’s on the ice longest (non goalie) still barely plays half a game if that at all, which most of the time they don’t! And the best forward only plays a third of the game so it’s really just something I think because of other sports people say, and because at playoff time abd to legacies like ovechkin winning the cup it adds credibility to the overall legacy of guys.

for young players it’s an absolute joke to hold their team success against then like JT fin Long Island for so many years having little team success, barkov in Florida, jack, and many others care in point mcdrainhave been to one playoffs in a normal 82 game season years.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't there some people on here who said Barkov was at least a top 10 and maybe a top 5 player after he had 35 goals, 61 assists, and 96 points in the 2018-19 Season.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't there some people on here who said Barkov was at least a top 10 and maybe a top 5 player after he had 35 goals, 61 assists, and 96 points in the 2018-19 Season.

What in the holy name of don cherry does that have to do with anything?

 

[LeafsNation75]

What in the holy name of don cherry does that have to do with anything?

I thought when you brought up Barkov's name it was talking about him the way others did at that time as being one of the best players in the NHL. Sorry if that was not the case.

 

[Xirik]

Until Mathews turns into true captain material I don't think he ranks above Madano.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Until Mathews turns into true captain material I don't think he ranks above Madano.

You do remember that Brendan Morrow replaced Modano as captain in Dallas.

 

[valet]

uhhhhhh.... yeah

definitely

 

[CanadienShark]

Somewhere between "roughly even" and "yes."

And by that I mean "yes."