Is McDavid's Legacy Ruined Without a Cup?

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[@williamdalgren7240]

The thumbnail makes it look like Connor´s got a new stand up special on netflix

[@serialmiller1987]

This argument could have been used to describe Alex Ovechkin until 2018. I feel like McDavid will win with Edmonton, but if he doesn't I feel it does not matter in the grand scheme of thing. MCDavid is the greatest regular season player in the NHL full-stop. I also cite someone like Jerome Iginla in Calgary, he never won a cup, but he is, and always will be a Calgary Flame.

[@ToxicIsTheNewOpTic]

have you not seen his playoff stats in the last 3 years? That man shows up in the playoffs and is undoubtedly the best player in the NHL , regular season, and playoffs. Points dont lie! , Edmonton doesn't win the regular season best team. but mcdavid is still considered the best with oilers finishing in the top, same as playoffs they don't win, but finish in the top doesn't change mcdavids skill. Just can't do it all himself, and that's fine. No one could even come close to what mcdavid does.

[@andrewchristie2970]

Iginla is already forgotten about outside of Calgary. That alone tells how important a cup is for a legacy. What else has Calgary had to be excited about since their Fluery? 😂 just depressing for y’all

[@ABC-sc2ip]

@@ToxicIsTheNewOpTic How is McDavid doing it all himself when Drai is putting up better playoff numbers?

[@ABC-sc2ip]

@@andrewchristie2970 Exactly! And it could be argued Iginla in his prime was a more complete player than McDavid. He could hit, fight, score, and take over entire games. He also carried a mediocre Flames team on his back for years making the team look better than it really was.

[@steve8803]

@@ABC-sc2ip McDavid and Drasaitl both have 25 points and are both playoffs beasts! But this isn't the NBA. In the NBA, you can win with two absolutely studs! In the NHL, it takes a full, well balanced team to win. And that is something the Oilers don't have. They lack forward depth, they lack D and their goaltending is atrocious. It's a tall task for the Oilers to win. I don't think there is another player in the league that you could swap McDavid for and they win.

[@Neon002121]

I think the unfortunate thing is that if he doesn’t win one, people will first think of him as one of the greatest players to NOT win the cup. It shouldn’t overshadow his remarkable achievements… but it will still feel like a blemish.

[@Landis_Grant]

Mike Gartner didn’t win a Cup.

[@AdamMCrawford]

Nope, defintely not "ruined". His career deserves a Cup, and it would be a shame if he doesn't win one, but at the end of the day hockey is a team sport and it is not in his control whether he wins a Cup. His legacy will be the greatest modern player. He is the closest thing we have seen to a "modern day Gretzky". If he would have bad playoff numbers you could use the Cups against his legacy a lot more, but as it stands he is one of the best playoff performers of all-time so it would be nonsense to throw away what he has done because of a team trophy that he didn't win (but deserved to)

[@jokerofmorocco]

Hockey is a team sport and one where one player has less impact than let's say one basketball player. He's still a legendary player without one. The Oilers won after Gretzky got traded while Gretzky never won after he left the Oilers.

[@DrBdan8]

I don't think anyone will ever deny that McDavid is one of the most skilled players to ever play in the NHL but if he doesn't win a Cup that will always be a big BUT when talking about him. He's incredible BUT he never won a Cup.

[@steve8803]

@DrBdan8 An individual doesn't win a cup. Yes, he is incredible and amongst the best playoff performers in the league(as is Draisaitl). The team is only as far as they are at BECAUSE of those guys. But even still, in the NHL you need a well rounded team to win. The Oilers lack forward depth, D and goaltending. They lack a lot! It's amazing they do as well as they do.

[@lilgrasshoppah]

This is only a question that somebody who dislikes McDavid, or the oilers, asks. Anybody who truly loves the game of hockey in a not partisan way can recognize that McDavid is in a very rare echelon... one peopled by people like Gretzky, Jagr and Lemieux.

[@Yo_Big_Al]

Hockey is such a team sport, you’re only as good as your team. Especially in a game like hockey where one mistake can cost you a series.

[@jordyb1131]

Imagine how he feels! His team is trying there butts off this year, man as a canadian i hope they can pull it off

[@mattboyko09]

I’ve been saying it for years, McDavid will go down in hockey history as the best player to never win a cup.

[@JohnB-mo4kq]

The only thing that would be ruined is his trading cards going up in value. He has already established himself as one of the best players in NHL history, and is a future Hall of Famer.

[@kiroolioneaver8532]

Yes. He doesn't have to win in Edmonton (the salary cap and dynamics are different now) but he does need to win. Ovechkin had to win that Cup because the peers they're compared to for being the GOATs all have that on their resume. Rightly or wrongly he needs one.

[@instaman34]

Carey Price was one of the most loyal players to his team and is to this day one of the greatest goaltenders to never win a cup.

[@Neon002121]

The list of goalies greater than Price to not win a Cup is short indeed!!

[@Mavarik]

I always heard that the reason they gave nurse such a big contract was to keep him around because he is such good friends with Mcd and Leon that him being around keeps them around

[@luckytoad3945]

Yea… that's not gonna work

[@Mavarik]

@@luckytoad3945 not saying it's the smartest play but I can't see Mcd or Leon leaving, Mcd has built a home in Edmonton both literally and metaphorically, he has invested a lot into the city, he says he doesn't even care about going back to Toronto anymore cos he hasn't got any friends there anymore. And you see the relationship between Leon and Mcd, it's a bromance for the ages

[@antiprogpragmatist859]

Part of the reason was that Nurse had been on an upward trajectory up until that point and had a career season where he was in the conversation for the Norris trophy. There was also another defenceman that signed a big contract just prior to Nurse and that set the bar for Nurses contract

[@steve8803]

He's 27, not 37! Lots of time. And we all know Edmonton lacks forward depth, D and goaltending. They are not a well rounded team. But McDavid and Draisaitl are definitely amongst the best playoff performers in the league.

[@Jeri0ux]

If Raymond Bourque doesn't win a cup, doesn't that make him less of a legend ? No. Same with McDavid.

[@ethanpresley8153]

Old heads would say yes, winning a cup takes the whole team and Edmontons Defence besides Boosh is abysmal, don’t even get me started on goaltending. Conner probably will have to put an extension on his home for all his awards. Hands down one of the most talented players to grace this game. Other greats didn’t get a cup but still are legends in their own right examples being Jumbo Joe and Jarome Iginla. I also think some of y’all forget Ray Borque won a cup in his last season, truly a poetic end for him. In short it takes a full dedicated roster to win Cups. If that wasn’t true the leafs would be in the ECF every season.

[@mkyhou1160]

I’m more concerned about his gambling advertising and the careers they may have ruined for those who get hooked.

[@HughJorgan1]

4:41 I had no idea Draisaitl is getting only $8.5 m a year. What a deal. I agree there will big changes with the Oiler lineup in the next couple years. This year may be their only chance to win. They will never win without both McD and Leon on the team.

[@antiprogpragmatist859]

The one contract for which I can give Chiarelli a pat on the back….because he made a lot of bad trades and signings

[@Frizzyy]

If he had bad playoffs stats/no impact yes however when a player does perform i dont think it can be held aginst said player , perhaps if we are talking legacy careers ? but not when we are talking all time best players

[@kaileyselin8453]

I’m hoping this year is our time! It has to be. The boys just need to dig deep and bring that Cup home. 🧡💙

[@kj6446]

agreed Nurse is a good defenseman, and occasionally can be great but not remotely worth his contract...Draisaitl, Bouchard, and Skinner are all due appreciable raises, and with Kane, Hyman and Nugent Hopkins all already on very good contracts, there's not much room unless the salary cap suddenly shoots up 8 million per year.

[@sacredalien8011]

Just don’t let him get in an argument with Torts like Thornton did

[@druxpack8531]

yep...but soft as puppy-poo Millennials and Gen Z that think participating is good enough will all say no though. "He's the best ever" "Would score 800 points back in the 80's...". meanwhile, all the rules have changed to make it easier to score, and he still loses scoring races to more complete players and even his own teammate.

[@TheEdmontonOilersAreGood]

Hes making the finals, 4 more wins....

[@kode-man23]

Scary to think of how much is riding on this year. The part that wasn’t mentioned in this video is that the Oilers CAN NOT afford to lose Draisaitl for nothing. If they end up bowing out to Dallas, they need to have a very serious conversation about how willing that he is to resign on July 1st this year (first day that he is eligible to sign an extension). If he isn’t willing to commit then and there, it’s time to get the absolute best haul that you can get for him. The other side of that coin, he’s currently making, what, 60% of what his next contract will be. Say that you are able to resign him. Now you’re paying a guy 12-13 million a year through his 30’s. That’s honestly probably not much better. The reason why so many of the greats win so early in their career in the cap era is because it becomes almost impossible to win with superstars that get paid what they are worth. You need them either on rookie deals, or cheap bridge deals. And that’s why it doesn’t look good right now. Everybody is due for big raises right at the same time, and there is no path forward to improve the team in any meaningful way, despite the cap going up. And it’s not like they have a very solid foundation of young players behind the top guys. Team might go through another decade of darkness if they can’t pull through this year.

[@sbaldis]

I completely disagree that winning the championship is less important than other sports. In my opinion it's just as important. All because the city falls in love with certain players doesn't mean around the league they are viewed as highly. No one remembers that the team around them wasn't good enough, the assumption is usually that they didn't have the winning mentality needed to win a championship.

[@gatar5875]

well spoken thank you for the great video and insight.

[@BrandonHilikus]

did mcdavid retire? hes still in the playooffs.

[@luckytoad3945]

Once he gets off the oils he's winning

[@Bears23Champs]

But that's not the purpose of video but yes.

[@luckytoad3945]

@@Bears23Champs yea wrote this before I watched it, I just based it off the title

[@datriaxsondor590]

Clearly, being on the "oils", is the reason his one team doesn't win. When he leaves the "oils", his new team will magically be the 1 team out of 32 to win. I'm guessing math was your weakest subject. Assuming you even took any math in school. Or, that you went to school at all. 🤷‍♂

[@bignerfamily2079]

That’s such a dick answer. They’re just saying Edmonton won’t be able to win because they aren’t built to win. It’s just an opinion, don’t be a dick.

[@luckytoad3945]

@@datriaxsondor590 I meant once mc David gets off the oilers he will win, not the oilers

[@BobsUruncle-dl7cs]

No Cup means no Legacy...only a History.

[@datriaxsondor590]

If anyone determines a player's legacy by the teams they are surrounded with, well, that's their problem. Joe Thorton never won a cup, and he's one of the greatest players of all time. If you try and diminish Joe's career because he never won a cup, when only 1 team out of 32 wins it each year (1 out of 27 for most of his career), then well, see above. So, in short, no. Cup or no cup, has no bearing on good one player is. None.

[@druxpack8531]

Joe Thornton is THE example of a talented player that couldn't care about winning. The Bruins identified that early on, and made it to a cup win and 2 additional appearances with Bergeron...the player they wanted to build around. Joe Thornton was the NHL's most loveable loser.

[@MrJmartin05]

These athletes should just enjoy their life and the amazing privilege they’ve been given to play a game for a living and stop worrying about their legacy. It’s all meaningless. No one cares about athletes 200 years later Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, in 200 years only Sport nerds will know their names.

[@Roundsideup]

U forgot toews, one of the greatest two ways to ever play

[@fr0styy156]

It’s so stupid when people say this. First, he will eventually win a cup (maybe even this year); however, if he doesn’t, no. The cup is a team achievement, and no individual player can win it alone. His individual awards still put him at the top.

[@SimRacingVeteran]

Mcdavid still has tons of time in his career to get that cup. Too early to say his legacy is ruined by not having a cup.

[@Rockmonanov]

True, he could still sign on with a different team (American team) on his next contract and make a go of it in the latter half of his career.

[@Landis_Grant]

Connor McDavid loves Edmonton apparently unlike Wayne Gretzky who revealed he hated playing there.

[@rockandrollemergency]

Wayne didn't hate playing in Edmonton. That's ridiculous. As a king, he has been very public about how uncomfortable going back was for him. The internet is full of people who will say anything as if it's true. Try not to add to the pile. Do your research.

[@Landis_Grant]

@@rockandrollemergency You are a prick, Gretzky said it in a video.

[@rushgameing3085]

I wonder if they can’t make it if they will do what CGY did and trade all their talent !

[@primestopper132]

This is the year, I’m telling you

[@ryanwilliams5904]

Nurse is F*ckin awful but props to his agent/manager for fleecing that deal 😅

[@Neon002121]

I want Nurses agent to sell my house! He makes more than Victor Hedman. Thats just amazing

[@MrJabez89]

He chose money over the Cup

[@dtucker666]

No, that thought is stupid. There has been many legendary players who never won a Cup.

[@dalriada]

He at least deserves a decent defense.

[@chrislaverick6413]

sadly yes because a lot of yuppies think that because he has not won a cup that he is not a good team player, which is just ridiculous

[@JimboSlice-cg5ky]

Yes, look at it from the point of view from Edmonton fans, they lived in the Great Ones glory for so damn long .. than 97 is drafted and he instantly became McJesus to bring them back to those 99 Era days .. the Oiler fan base is just like toronto, expecting what their parents and grandparents were used to 😂😂 entitled franchise based of the greats that actually won ..

[@DasPizzaChit]

If he doesn’t win this year he will win next year no matter if Leon gets traded after the next season

[@Lilbailnick]

There’s no argument how great 97 is, ZERO. But winning the cup in this league, our favorite league carries the weight of a defined champion. Being great & successful points wise is one thing but being a champion is the only goal!! It would be a dam shame if McDavid never gets his name stamped into Lord Stanley’s hardware. Just look how fast he ascended to the top of that list of, what shame it would be since Ovi scratched his name off it in 2018.

[@erichaynes5826]

The hate this guy gets is amazing. A whole society of people collectively too stupid to see what is happening. It is one of the most fundamentally depressing things about our society.

[@thatshortbuskid9801]

I don’t like the oilers but be one of the worst teams in the standings and then coming back and winning a cup would be a great story and a pay raise for the writers at the nhl

[@patrickwilson9617]

Of course it does. Look at the talent surrounding him, if he can't win after this 2024 season, he probably won't until he's ready to retire. He's got the refs on his side and he still complains. That's his biggest problem, he's a complainer and doesn't have the heart to dig deep when it counts. I hope he proves me wrong though.

[@steve8803]

What do you think of the legacy of guys like Iginla? Price? Lundqvist? Bure? Lindros? Neely? Giroux? Sundin? Roenick? Hawerchuk? Housley? If cups are everything, then Phil Kessel is significantly better than all of them!!

[@HecticHockey]

McDavid, if he continues on this trajectory, will be in his own realm of player.

[@SUPERJOSPUFJ]

Let Mcdavid have a Jeremy Roenick career

[@Hockey7234]

Alot of the best to ever play might never get a cup. I dont think it shows greatness.

[@doodlebob2023]

hes the best to ever play. the "no one comes close to gretzky" people are ridiculous. the game has evolved so much. if you took any u18 aaa player and put them in gretkys era they would be better than gretzky.

[@ABC-sc2ip]

Take any player today and give them the skates of 1980, the wooden sticks, and all the other equipment and players today would be lost on the ice. Now imagine Gretzky with all of the modern hockey equipment and with new style of hockey being less physical and grinding. His numbers would be even more insane.

[@charliem9831]

Are we really asking this question?

[@R3_B0]

gimme a Matthews video like this

[@albertatundra]

Yes, if McDavid Cabrera l can't carry a team to the cup. He isn't great. He is only good but not good enough to really win.

[@Mi1k_Man]

He will never win a selke cause he doesn’t play defense and that’s why he can’t win a cup

[@tymorrison2923]

0:02 no

[@Mayor_Of_Eureka17]

Not . At . All. Team os everything. #99 zero cups after Edmonton. Bourque, zero cups until Avs.

[@the7thstring602]

Measuring a players individual acomplishments based of a Teams accomplishment is dumb.

[@tococattococat9498]

How will this affect LeBron‘s career?

[@MrLump]

Yup

[@iron-farmer]

YES

[@JesMcdld-nb6pg]

People are making to much because there behind 2 to 1_it's far from over oilers could win 3 straight nobody knows I do think the way Dallas fans are trash talking no need for it in final 4 if you made it nobody deserves trash talk I hope the Dallas fans don't bring bad luck to there team it's happened before in this year's playoffs trash talk and there team lost final 2 games to be ousted and it's happened before so don't trash talk other teams it's close series it's nobody's series yet there both well deserved teams

[@BeserkerEarl]

calling nurse an abysmal defenceman is so stupid and shows this channel just wants to make money but not put in the research

[@HecticHockey]

Nurse is not good

[@manmeetshergill3628]

Lol, you're paying a guy to skate laps. He had 32 points this year and he is playing with McDavid and Drysaitl. Makar and Hughes don't even make as much as him and they are Norris candidates. What has nurse done? Besides get paid 10 mill.

[@AdamMCrawford]

And btw, McDavid with no Cups will already surpass Crosby in the GOAT debate. McDavid is on the level of Gretzky and Lemieux with his talent/stats. Crosby is a clear tier below.

[@Jamesbauer34512]

Horrendous take I’m disappointed

[@AdamMCrawford]

​@@Jamesbauer34512Please educate me. What historic numbers did Crosby put up? Lemieux, Mcdavid, Gretzky all dominated their peers, what did Crosby do? (besides win less MVPs in 20 seasons than McDavid has in 9). Losing Art Ross races to Jamie Benn gets you off the lists with alltime legends like Gretzky, Lemieux, and McDavid.

[@Jamesbauer34512]

@@AdamMCrawford ahhh. Youngest captain ever to win a cup, 3 cup wins been to 4 all while missing the prime of his career due to 4 concussions. Far harder competition in terms of in-division teams, playoff opponents, and award winners. Mcdavid racks up points against garbage western conference competition all while being on the same team as draisaitl who consistently outperforms him in the playoffs. Crosby is a far better all around player. Sure mcdavid gets the points but I don’t get how regular season points equates to “dominance” when he’s played 9 seasons and hasn’t even played in a cup final. And historically doesn’t even get the most playoff points on his own team.

[@Jamesbauer34512]

@@AdamMCrawford also the whole argument for awards is just fucking stupid. Crosby played less than 55 games in 4/8 first seasons of which most years he was on pace to either have the most points that season or get incredibly close.

[@AdamMCrawford]

@@Jamesbauer34512 You just named all team accolades, I am talking about Crosby vs McDavid the individuals. I don't care how many Cups the Penguins won, especially with Crosby never actually dominating the playoffs the way McDavid does. For example in the Penguins first Cup with Crosby, he had 1 goal, 3 assists -1 in the 7 game series vs Detriot. The team basically won game 7 without him as he only played 10 minutes of ice time due to injury. And lol if you think the Penguins ever beat a team as good as the last 2 teams to eliminate the Oil. Colorado was impossibly stacked due to MacKinnon having a $6m contract at that time and Vegas exploited LTIR to get a free $9mill winger on their team. You will have to remind me of when the Penguins were up against crap like that? The better all around player argument is crap as well, McDavid dominates Crosby when they have played head to head, go look up the stats if you want, it's not pretty for Sid lol, where is that elite defence the casuals always tell me about?

[@AphelionBeach]

Mc davidchump

[@LOLBTLOLBT]

What legacy lol legacy of being overrated

[@Jamesbauer34512]

Let’s be fr mcdavid is the problem. He will never touch crosbys legacy nor be a top 5 player all time unless he gets at least two cups which he won’t do bc he’s not a winner. 😹

[@AdamMCrawford]

You can always tell someone is stupid when they drop the "he's not a winner", as if in hockey it is individual players win and not full team efforts. This isn't the NBA, take your crap takes somewhere else.

[@hoodoogoblin4612]

Your logic is circular. You say he's not good because he won't win, and he won't win because he's not good enough to win. Lol

[@Jamesbauer34512]

@@hoodoogoblin4612 nah being good and being a winner are two entirely different things… look at Aaron Rodgers dude won mvp after mvp and was always on great teams then fell apart in the playoffs. Mcdavid is good there’s no doubt but he’s not a winner 🤷‍♂️. 9 seasons no cup finals 🤨 that’s ur goat???

[@LOLBTLOLBT]

yes, he can't be compared to corsbys legacy, 3 cups, back to back wins, 2 gold for team canada, what does mcdavid have? nothing so far

[@AdamMCrawford]

@@Jamesbauer34512 Watch Stuart Skinner and Nurse blow games and try using your brain a bit more, then you will see (hopefully) how dumb your stance is. Did Crosby use mind telepathy from the bench to stop his teammates from blowing games? How does this "being a winner" work exactly?

[@nellwilliams8247]

He is too passive and chokes in the playoffs