Is any current player the next Gretzky?

[Mylläri]

Originally Posted by krudmonk

No, not since the butterfly goalie revolution. Nobody will score like Gretzky.

I think this is one of the main factors, that and the systematic defense that is played thoughout the NHL. Its much harder to score goals nowadays than it was in the 80's and 90's.

Originally Posted by dspguy

The only Gretzky record that is remotely in reach is his career goals scored.

I don't see any player today:
scoring 92+ goals in a season
scoring more assists in a season or in their career
scoring more points in a season or in their career

There are a ton of other records that derive from those I just listed above. A few might be reachable, but some are just fluky (scoring 4 goals in a period).

The game is vastly different than it used to be back in Gretzky's day. As good as Ovechkin, Malkin, etc might be, numbers-wise they definitely won't hold a candle to Gretzky. But, the question would then remain... how would Gretzky fare in today's hockey world?

I agree that most of Gretzky's records will never be touched and that no one will likely ever come close to most again. I think a question to ask that would be just as good as "how would Gretzky fare in today's hockey world?" is "how well could Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, Datsyuk, etc have played in the 80's and 90's?"

Originally Posted by Paradox22

I thought this question was already settled. Didn't Bettman already proclaim Crosby = Gretzky and Malkin=Messier?

Malkin = Lemieux

Crosby = Gretzky

Ovechkin = Man-Beast