Long live the King

2 minutes ago, Pete said:

I don't disagree, but my point was it's not bat shit to think 21 year old Bedard will be starting the curve to begin surpassing McDavid in 3 years. 

Right.  He'll be up there, but this whole debate started with me pushing back on "garunteed best player in the league within 3 years."

11 minutes ago, Keirik said:

And the other years? It's not nitpicking. It's called looking at an entire career. He was in the league for 4 years before Covid. Rookie season injuries. Then 100, 108, 116. Progressing but still. You don't ignore results in totality. 
 

and besdies, you're moving the entire argument. I don't care if he paced 125 points at 25 years old. I countered your comment that we should dismiss 3 years into the future because you seem to think you can read into the future of a guy approaching 30 when there are other guys, such as a MacKinnon who's months older that outperformed McD this year. 
 

it's quite possible that McD won't be the best player in the league for the 2027/28 season. I'm not sure how that can be proven as incorrect in 2024. 

Those 100 and 108 point seasons both won him the scoring title.

Kucherov just had a career year at 30.  Panarin at 32.  It's more crazy to think McDavid will stop scoring than it is to think he'll keep this pace for 3 more years.

9 minutes ago, Pete said:

It's not bat shit to think 21 year old Bedard will be starting the curve to begin surpassing McDavid in 3 years. 

For me to call Bedard the best player in the league he needs to win multiple scoring titles.  That's not happening in 3 years.

McDavid won 5 of the last 7 and the two years he didn't win he was 2nd.

29 minutes ago, Keirik said:

I know. It's a shame he's only managed to achieve it twice then in nearly a decade, eh? 

Yea.  Totally a shame that covid cut two of those years short and you're gonna nit pick another over 123 points in 80 games.  

4 minutes ago, Keirik said:

Of course not, but it's a point that it's not as if McD is in a league of his own. And add in perennial guys kine Kucherov and MacKinnon have really closed the gap and I'd say it's nuts to just sit here and assume 3 years down the road we see the exact same McD in an ever changing league, especially considering hes only twi e had 125 points in 9 years for a various number of reasons. 

His career pace is 125 points per 82 games.

12 minutes ago, Keirik said:

But none of what you're saying has any validity to say he will be doing this the same in 3 years. He didn't lead the league this year. Give him 10 points and he still doesn't lead the league. I don't think you can have it both ways. You can't ignore stats in one year, then point to them in another. Last year he dominated. The year before that he was less dominant. He's currently thr best player in my mind, but he's not dominating the league in a way others aren't as well. Plus we all know age plays can play a factor. 

We can resume this conversation in 3 years when it's appropriate. I just don't know how you can just know what he will look like at 30 and use evidence in his mid 20s to justify it. 

This is what I'm talking about.  That year, 2021-22, Gaudreau and Huberdeau were tied for 2nd behind him.  Are they in the convo for best player in the league? 

I can know what he'll look like at 30.  This isn't an average player.  He's going to keep scoring 125+ points per year well into his 30s.

1 hour ago, Keirik said:

How does that equate to a gap not closing? McDavid was outscored in points and goals. The fact he is younger and still outscored doesn't bode well for him, not for the "older" guys that are 8 months and 2 years older. And they didn't "match" McDavid. They outscored him. Gap closing literally means that. In terms of production. He isn't blowing away the league. It doesn't mean he's not still all worldly and none of this is evidence that he's improving on production 3 years down the road when he hits 30. 

This has nothing to do with the best player in the league.  McDavid does it every year.  He won the scoring title 5 of 9 years he's been in the league.  A one off year for someone else doesn't make the they best player in the league.  McDaivd also missed 6 games which cost him about 10 points off his total.

41 minutes ago, Keirik said:

Right. No one said it changes year to year. You're asking if McDavid will be retired in 3 years as if it's some lock that at 30, he will remain the best player in the league 3 years into the future while the gap is already closing in terms of performance. 
 

im not sure any of us know exactly what McDavid will be at 30 years old and if anyone will overtake him. 

The gap isn't closing and the two guys that managed to match him this year are older than he is.

Best player in the league doesn't change year to year.  He has 140 more points than the next closest guy since he came into the league.  

On 4/26/2024 at 7:01 PM, jsm7302 said:

They have the guaranteed best player in the game within the next 3 years....I don't think Bedard deserves another #1 OA.

Is McDavid retiring? 

50 minutes ago, siddious said:

He’s a frustrating player BECAUSE you know he can be that good. 
 

longest tenured loser is really harsh. The guys put up good numbers his whole career.

 

we win a cup with him and there’s no way he qualifies for that. 

We with a cup with him #20 will be hanging from the rafters.

4 hours ago, Dem said:

My stomach is in a knot. Watching the leafs play last night reminded me of last year's devils series. High skill team getting frustrated n not able to match intensity. I know this is a different team w a different attitude but I'm going to lose my shit if the same thing happens tonight.

 

That said I expect a resounding win for the Blueshirts!

Toronto sucks though.  This has been their MO for nearly a decade now.

2 hours ago, BrooksBurner said:

Then why were the Rangers not a playoff team before he got here?

Because the team was rebuilding and full of 19-22 year olds.  Also even though Panarin sucks, they were 22-14-6 with him and 5-9 without him.

Quote

And why did a drafted group of players who never played together in Vegas make the Finals with him?

Mainly beacuse Pittsburgh is stupid and choose Matt Murray over Fleury.   Why did Vegas fire him and go on to win the cup without him?

1 hour ago, The Dude said:

Just a little complaint about one of the knocks on GG. The talk about shuffling the lines and no continuity.  

 

Has Kreider not been stapled to Zibanejad for years? 

 

Was Strome not with Panarin  95% of his stay here? Trocheck too?

 

Kid line? 

 

The D pairings were the exact same pairings up until 2 weeks ago.   

 

Sure GG would shuffle RWs and the 3rd/kid line. But that's kinda because they had little to insert at RW. Dryden Hunt? Kravtsov? Kakko? Blais?  

 

Then when given an extra piece that threw off any balance (Kane) and had the core waiting for their savior to do everything,  they died. 

 

I hope one day, we get to hear what Drury and Gallant were arguing about in game. 

No.  GG played Zib and CK apart for over 300 minutes at 5v5 and Trocheck with so.e combe of CK, Goodrow, Vesey for 200 minutes.

Panarin-Trocheck-Laf were together for 866 minutes.  He literally never touched that line.  GG would have shuffled Laf around during a 3 goal in 31 game slump.

28 minutes ago, Pete said:

Who specifically?

Quote

Bold prediction: New York's stars will turn up in the first round, but the Rangers' depth will fail to match, and a hungrier Washington team will oust the Presidents' Trophy winners in a dramatic Game 7 finale.

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/39968275/nhl-playoffs-2024-stanley-cup-schedule-preview-predictions-bracket-flaws

16 minutes ago, Pete said:

The same person who's been doing it all season, Zib. 

Or Kreider since he's been saving energy all season.

Perreault should play with Zib to handle the puck carrying and distributing so Zib can get back to shooting.

57 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said:

Yeah. 
But moving him to RW prior, I completely understand why they didn’t do it.

 

Rookie year, abbreviated schedule, you leave him at LW, behind CK and Panarin and see what happens.

 

Next season, new HC, you put him with the other 2 kids as a 3rd line, keep the pressure off them, he stays at his natural position and they did ok, and had sone really nice and encouraging moments in the playoffs.

 
Last season, off of that prior season and playoff run, he left that line together and it was justified. 

Though GG probably should’ve bump him up earlier and for longer looks, it’s whatever.

 

He was ready this season and Lavy did it and it’s worked. 

GG constantly shuffled the lines.  Never gave Laf any time to work through a slump.  Lavi left him there all year regardless.  Laf a stretch from about Thanksgiving to February where he only had 3 goals in 31 games.  Lavi didn't waver.   Outside of that stretch Laf paced nearly 40 goals per 82.  Hope Drury can lock him up this season before Laf finds more consistency next year.

Detroit forces OT with 5 seconds left to eliminate the Flyers.  Does Torts see the scoreboard before pulling the goalie with 5 minutrs left in a tie game to give the Caps the win and eliminate the Wings?

Aren't all playoff games on national tv?