Will Draisaitl surpass Jari Kurri?

[illpucks]

Gretzky-Kurri and now McDavid-Draisaitl
will Draisaitl surpass Kurri?

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[Mickey Marner]

Draisaitl is better now than Kurri ever was.

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

Draisaitl is a pilot, while Kurri was a first class passenger. They don't compare.

 

[McFlash97]

Kurri was perhaps the best finish player ever along with teemu

Leon might end up being a top 3 European player of all time when it's all said and done.

 

[Former Referee 68]

Kurri was amazing! i vote Jari

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Kurri was perhaps the best finish player ever along with teemu

Leon might end up being a top 3 European player of all time when it's all said and done.

Serious question - which two of Hasek, Jagr, Ovechkin and Lidstrom do you think Draisaitl will surpass to be a top three European?

 

[Albatros]

Kurri was the more complete player, should have won the Selke at least once.

 

[LaMasquerade]

Draisaitl is great, but 10 consecutive SC runs with over PPG was "quite nice" though..

 

[Thenameless]

He certainly won't pass Kurri in goals.

 

[Patrik Barkov]

Draisaitl is better now than Kurri ever was.

Draisaitl is a pilot, while Kurri was a first class passenger. They don't compare.

Kurri was no where near a passenger during those years as an oiler.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

Kurri was the more complete player, should have won the Selke at least once.

Was he really this good defensively/was he considered one of the top defensive wingers in the game? Not disagreeing with you, Kurri was just before my time so my knowledge of him is mostly from secondary sources - and maybe a couple of replays, which are so stylistically foreign that its tough to really glean much from them

I knew Kurri was more of a jack of all trades, but didn't know he was considered elite defensively.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Maybe in regular season.

 

[BraveCanadian]

Was he really this good defensively/was he considered one of the top defensive wingers in the game? Not disagreeing with you, Kurri was just before my time so my knowledge of him is mostly from secondary sources - and maybe a couple of replays, which are so stylistically foreign that its tough to really glean much from them

I knew Kurri was more of a jack of all trades, but didn't know he was considered elite defensively.

Kurri was very good defensively, especially for a scoring forward at that time.

Top 10 in Scoring & Selke Voting

(In those days Selke votes tended to go to more pure defensive forwards and Kurri still did well)

That being said, a couple more years of play like this to flesh out his prime and Draisaitl has to be seen as the better player I would think.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

He already has

 

[Artorius Horus T]

I'm guessing lots of young ones posting here...
Draisaitl is awesome but lets be real here.

Jari Kurri is one of the better hockey players ever,
in the history of hockey, lots needs to happen
before Draisaitl passes Kurri, goals, points, success,
number of games played, what ever the category.

It would be nice to see one of Kurri's NHL records to be broken thou,
19 play-offs goals in a single post season, 1 shy of 20, no one has ever scored 20
play-offs goals in a single season, that would be cool the see one day.

 

[Steve]

I feel that Draisaitl will always be somewhat overlooked b/c he's playing with McDavid (ie how much is he really driving vs benefiting). As a result, many fans may underrate him. On the other side of the coin, it seem as though some Draisaitl fans are desperate to make the case he would be the same/similar player without McDavid.

 

[Captain97]

Kurri was perhaps the best finish player ever along with teemu

Leon might end up being a top 3 European player of all time when it's all said and done.

I'm not saying he can't, but who do you have Draisaitl passing out of Jagr, Ovi, Malkin, Lidstrom, and Hasek?

 

[Kamus]

I'm not saying he can't, but who do you have Draisaitl passing out of Jagr, Ovi, Malkin, Lidstrom, and Hasek?

Maybe he meant top three forward

 

[heksagon]

Draisaitl is fantastic and still young, so he has a chance to surpass Kurri when it's all said and done, but I don't know how likely that is.

People who say Draisaitl is better now than Kurri ever was, or that Kurri was just a passenger show a lack of hockey history knowledge. In addition to his points, Jari Kurri was a fantastic defensive winger and one of the best playoff performers of all time. Kurri won 5 cups, one of them without Gretzky, and is 3rd all time in playoff points. He benefitted from playing with Gretzky and vice versa, just like Draisaitl is with McDavid.

Draisaitl still has something to prove in the post season to touch Kurri's legacy. He has many years to do it, so let us watch and see.

Edit. As for the question, I'm not sure. I'll vote no, because I think that is the more likely option, but it could happen.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Kurri was elite as a sniper and near elite defensively. Draisaitl is more rounded, and can drive plays far better than Kurri ever did. Kurri was amazing, he was my favourite player growing up (I didn't want to have the same favourite as everyone else so couldn't pick Gretzky), but Draisaitl is at another level. The only thing holding him back is longevity and a Stanley Cup.

 

[Gurglesons]

Depends on what him and McDavid do when it matters. I don't think so.

 

[Fourier]

Was he really this good defensively/was he considered one of the top defensive wingers in the game? Not disagreeing with you, Kurri was just before my time so my knowledge of him is mostly from secondary sources - and maybe a couple of replays, which are so stylistically foreign that its tough to really glean much from them

I knew Kurri was more of a jack of all trades, but didn't know he was considered elite defensively.

He was most definitely elite defensively.

 

[pikkuvaimo]

Jari Kurri won five Stanley Cups.
He also holds the record for most goals in a single playoff-season.
One of eight players to ever score 70+ goals in a single season.
Top-5 in playoff points.
One time NHL top goal-scorer.

IMO Drai needs to show something more. He's not passed Kurri yet

 

[Fourier]

Draisaitl is fantastic and still young, so he has a chance to surpass Kurri when it's all said and done, but I don't know how likely that is.

People who say Draisaitl is better now than Kurri ever was, or that Kurri was just a passenger show a lack of hockey history knowledge. In addition to his points, Jari Kurri was a fantastic defensive winger and one of the best playoff performers of all time. Kurri won 5 cups, one of them without Gretzky, and is 3rd all time in playoff points. He benefitted from playing with Gretzky and vice versa, just like Draisaitl is with McDavid.

Draisaitl still has something to prove in the post season to touch Kurri's legacy. He has many years to do it, so let us watch and see.

Edit. As for the question, I'm not sure. I'll vote no, because I think that is the more likely option, but it could happen.

I think there is a legitimate argument that Draisaitl is already the better player. I would have him slightly above Kurri on the list of alltime Oilers. His play last year earned him a legitimate Hart trophy and he may have played just as well this year. Kurri never reached that level individually.

Kurri was better on his own than most think. His play after the Gretzky trade showed this. But his success is still tied to Gretzky as much or more so than I would tie Leon to McDavid.

Draisaitl is an incredible passer. On the backhand few people I have watched in my time would be his equal. I would say that his shot is now on par or perhaps better than Kurri's. Kurri's advantage still lies on the defensive side but Draisaitl has taken a big step to reduce that gap.

 

[Captain97]

Maybe he meant top three forward

Even then if Ovi and Jagr are the best 2 European forwards ever. Draisatl has to pass Malkin which would be pretty insane.