State Your Case: Barkov or Draisaitl in Stanley Cup Final

Connor McDavid is the best forward in the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers.

It’s not a stretch to make that statement, given that the Oilers captain is widely considered to be the best hockey player in the world. His credentials are self-evident.

Entering the Final, the first of McDavid’s career, he leads the NHL with 31 points (five goals, 26 assists) in 18 playoff games. It is the second time he has had at least 30 points in a postseason (33 in 2022), something only five other players have accomplished in League history: Wayne Gretzky (six times), Mark Messier (three), Jari Kurri (two), Mario Lemieux (two) and Nikita Kucherov (two).

McDavid also had 132 points (32 goals, 100 assists) in the regular season, which was third in the NHL behind Kucherov (144 points; 44 goals, 100 assists) and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (140 points; 51 goals, 89 assists).

So, if we accept the premise that McDavid is the best forward in the Final, the question of whom is the next best becomes an interesting one. Is it Aleksander Barkov of the Panthers or Leon Draisaitl of the Oilers? That is a little more complicated because Barkov and Draisaitl each is an All-Star in his own right.

The subjectiveness of which player is better is the question before senior director of editorial Shawn P. Roarke and staff writer Tracey Myers in this playoff edition of State Your Case.

Myers: I’ve got to go with Draisaitl on this one, mainly because I’ve spent a whole series watching him in person, and man, what a 1-2 punch the Oilers have with him and McDavid. I mean, the statistics back me up here, too. Draisaitl is second in the NHL with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 18 games this postseason. Six of those goals have come on the Oilers’ lethal power play, which the Dallas Stars got victimized by in the final two games of the Western Conference Final. A shooting percentage of 17.5 isn’t too shabby, either. I’ve been really impressed with what Draisaitl’s done, and he’s the 1A to McDavid in my opinion.

Roarke: I’d be comfortable arguing that Barkov is the best forward in the Final, as unpopular an opinion as that might be. So, it’s easy for me to say that he is better than Draisaitl, a player who I admire greatly. Look, I know Barkov won’t put up the points that Draisaitl does, but points is only one dimension of the worth of a player. Barkov does everything the Panthers need. Matthew Tkachuk may be the Panthers’ emotional barometer, but Barkov has been and always will be their intellectual North Star. He is the most important piece on a team that has made it to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past two seasons. That’s a pretty good resume.

Myers: First, I like the North Star reference. No doubt Barkov guides the Panthers in a lot of ways. As far as Draisaitl goes, I appreciate how much he’s playing this postseason. Yes, I know his time on the penalty kill is negligible, but the rest of his minutes aren’t. Draisaitl has played 385:16 in the playoffs, which is third among forwards behind McDavid (412:32) and Wyatt Johnston of the Stars (392:01). He’s out there in critical situations for the Oilers, who have played in a few overtimes. He just makes things happen, whether that be on a different line from McDavid or on the power play with him. He's just a tremendous player.

Roarke: There’s no wrong answer here, and I don’t have an issue with your passionate case for Draisaitl or those who concur. I value different things in a player, at times. I find beauty in the denial of a zone entry, the well-placed stick in a passing lane, the indirect pass off the wall to relieve pressure. When Barkov is on the ice, very little happens offensively for the other team, a truth that Kucherov, David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins and Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers will attest to. Each is an elite scorer, and none could get his game going against the Panthers in the previous rounds. Barkov eliminates goals against, and in the postseason that might be more skillful, and more valuable, than those who score goals. All I do know is it is going to be a heck of a show to watch across the next two weeks or more.