Some individuals consider that you have to win a championship to be thought of an all-time nice in a sport. I believe that is very true in hockey, the place for those who seek for the very best gamers of all time, a few of the lists characteristic gamers akin to Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux, and Gordie Howe–all Stanley Cup winners. Different gamers akin to Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are knocking on the door–and each Sid the Child and the Nice 8 have every gained a Stanley Cup. So the place does that depart Edmonton Oilers famous person Connor McDavid?
He’s a winner of a number of Hart and Artwork Ross Trophies, and he’s even gained a Conn Smythe. What if he and his fellow teammates on the Oilers, like Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, don’t win the Stanley Cup? Would you rank McDavid within the prime 10 of all-time NHL gamers?
Utilizing Different Sports activities for Perspective
I began fascinated with McDavid’s place amongst the greats after the Oilers misplaced to the Florida Panthers within the Stanley Cup Remaining for the second straight 12 months. I nonetheless marvel if he’ll be thought of one of many best hockey gamers of all time if he and the Oilers don’t win the Stanley Cup. So, I made a decision to have a look at different sports activities together with soccer, basketball and baseball.
I watched Ken Burn’s superb documentary “Baseball” once more for the fourth or fifth time, and I spotted that one of many best baseball gamers of all time, Ted Williams, by no means gained a championship, but that hasn’t appeared to detour followers from putting his identify amongst the very best gamers to ever play the sport. After I take a look at the NBA, each single participant within the prime 10 of ESPN’s seventy fifth Anniversary NBA Crew has gained a championship ring. In a current ballot of the highest 25 NFL greats, solely two gamers within the prime 10 had not gained a championship: Dan Marino and Barry Sanders. May McDavid be thought of among the best to ever play hockey, even when he doesn’t win a Stanley Cup?
McDavid Nonetheless Has Time to Win a Stanley Cup
There’s been lots of speak about McDavid’s remarks following the Oilers’ loss to the Panthers within the 2025 Stanley Cup Remaining. At his year-end information convention, McDavid expressed some frustration when he talked about the Oilers within the Stanley Cup Remaining had been “attempting the identical factor over and over, simply banging our heads towards the wall.” Not precisely a ringing endorsement for a franchise hoping to re-sign their captain within the last 12 months of an eight-year, $100 million contract.
Personally, I hope McDavid indicators with the Oilers once more and doesn’t have to go away for one more market in an effort to win the Stanley Cup. If followers assume a Stanley Cup is out of the query for McDavid, all you need to do is take a look at one of many best baseball gamers of all time, Jackie Robinson. His Brooklyn Dodgers misplaced 4 World Sequence to the New York Yankees in a six-year span between 1947 and 1953, till lastly beating the Bronx Bombers for the title in 1955. The championship was price every part to Robinson, and Brooklyn held one of many best World Sequence celebrations in MLB historical past. Who says the identical factor can’t occur for McDavid, Draisaitl and the Oilers?
McDavid Will Be Thought of One of many Biggest
Whether or not McDavid can lead the Oilers to their sixth Stanley Cup championship in franchise historical past or not, he’ll nonetheless be thought of one of many best to ever play the sport. Oilers followers are hoping that normal supervisor Stan Bowman can enhance the workforce sufficient that the Oilers can lastly recover from the hurdle and win all of it.
Associated: The 5 Biggest Hockey Gamers Ever
With a profession spotlight reel that rivals Lemieux and Gretzky, Connor McDavid is the best participant of his era and has earned his place amongst the easiest.
